Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Hits New 52-Week Low – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $210.67 and last traded at $212.7470, with a volume of 175567 shares. The stock had previously closed at $217.26.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on POOL shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Pool from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Pool in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Pool from $240.00 to $232.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $281.50.

Pool Trading Up 1.7%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 2.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $248.10 and a 200-day moving average of $271.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.22.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.15). The company had revenue of $982.21 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $999.14 million. Pool had a net margin of 7.67% and a return on equity of 31.49%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.97 EPS. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.850-11.150 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Pool Corporation will post 11.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St purchased 5,560 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $218.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,215,805.20. Following the completion of the acquisition, the senior vice president directly owned 82,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,115,716.15. The trade was a 7.19% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $605,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,968,580. The trade was a 13.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pool

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in POOL. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Pool in the 1st quarter worth about $400,000. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Pool by 237.9% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 17,390 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $5,536,000 after purchasing an additional 12,244 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Pool during the first quarter valued at approximately $639,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Pool by 164.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 156 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Pool by 201.2% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,012 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $639,000 after purchasing an additional 1,344 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool Company Profile

Pool Corporation is a leading wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related outdoor living products. Headquartered in Covington, Louisiana, the company serves a diverse customer base that includes service professionals, independent retailers, high-volume builders, and national retail chains. Pool Corporation’s extensive branch network enables it to maintain strong local customer relationships while leveraging its scale to source products efficiently from manufacturers around the world.

The company’s product portfolio spans pool and spa chemicals, water treatment equipment, pumps, filters, heaters, automation and control systems, liners, safety covers, and cleaning accessories.