Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL) Stake Lifted by Bank of Nova Scotia

Bank of Nova Scotia increased its position in shares of Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL) by 3.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,085 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia’s holdings in Pool were worth $1,734,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Pool by 2,300.0% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 72 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the period. Atala Financial Inc bought a new stake in Pool in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Pool in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in Pool by 76.9% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 138 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in shares of Pool during the 3rd quarter valued at about $60,000. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pool Trading Up 2.0 %

NASDAQ POOL opened at $311.27 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $330.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $349.07. The stock has a market cap of $11.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.59, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.13. Pool Co. has a twelve month low of $284.28 and a twelve month high of $395.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 2.05.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.08. Pool had a return on equity of 31.11% and a net margin of 8.18%. The firm had revenue of $987.48 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $961.04 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Pool Co. will post 11.32 EPS for the current year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 12th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.55%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on POOL shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Pool in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $344.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded Pool from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Pool from $370.00 to $360.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $365.33.

Insider Activity at Pool

In other news, SVP Jennifer M. Neil sold 1,223 shares of Pool stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total transaction of $385,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 9,667 shares in the company, valued at $3,045,105. The trade was a 11.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.00, for a total value of $3,460,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 62,577 shares in the company, valued at $21,651,642. This represents a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Pool

Pool Corporation distributes swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products in the United States and internationally. The company offers maintenance products, including chemicals, supplies, and pool accessories; repair and replacement parts for pool equipment, such as cleaners, filters, heaters, pumps, and lights; and building materials, such as concrete, plumbing and electrical components, functional and decorative pool surfaces, decking materials, tiles, hardscapes, and natural stones for pool installations and remodeling.