John Stokely Acquires 1,000 Shares of Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Stock

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) Director John Stokely purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $193.06 per share, with a total value of $193,060.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 16,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,133,363.80. This trade represents a 6.57% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Pool Stock Down 1.8%

NASDAQ:POOL traded down $3.41 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $187.04. 592,542 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 830,944. Pool Corporation has a 12-month low of $184.50 and a 12-month high of $345.00. The business has a 50-day moving average of $212.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $237.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 1.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.82 billion, a PE ratio of 17.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.16.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.09. Pool had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. Pool’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Pool Corporation will post 11.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool announced that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Wednesday, April 29th that permits the company to buyback $600.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the specialty retailer to reacquire up to 7.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 14th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 14th. This is a positive change from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 47.84%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on POOL. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on shares of Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Pool from $232.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Pool from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pool presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $265.13.

Institutional Trading of Pool

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CNB Bank increased its stake in shares of Pool by 4.1% in the third quarter. CNB Bank now owns 918 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $285,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH increased its stake in shares of Pool by 4.2% in the third quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 999 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $310,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its stake in shares of Pool by 22.0% in the third quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 227 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Pool by 20.0% in the fourth quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 270 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Wealthspire Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Pool by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 1,051 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $240,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst note: Seeking Alpha highlights that an abrupt CEO change has not disrupted reported earnings and that at least one firm raised its rating on POOL, which supports near-term confidence in the company’s operating performance. Pool Corporation: Abrupt CEO Change Doesn’t Disrupt Earnings (Rating Upgrade)
• Positive Sentiment: Recent results and guidance: Pool beat Q1 EPS (reported $1.43 vs. $1.34 consensus), delivered modest revenue growth year‑over‑year, and set FY2026 EPS guidance of $10.87–$11.17, roughly in line with analyst expectations—factors that support valuation and earnings visibility.
• Neutral Sentiment: Weather-adaptive AI for pools: Coverage on emerging “weather‑adaptive” AI for pool systems points to potential longer‑term product/service innovation (automation, energy/chemistry optimization), but adoption and revenue impact for Pool Corp are speculative at this stage. Weather-Adaptive AI Just Reached the Pool. Here’s What That Mean
• Neutral Sentiment: Local demand signals and consumer content: Several consumer pieces—regional “Are Pool Builders West Palm Beach Worth Hiring Now?”, Investopedia on pool financing, People.com product reviews, and a discounted robotic cleaner deal—show steady consumer interest and product spending but don’t directly change Pool Corp’s near‑term revenue visibility. Are Pool Builders West Palm Beach Worth Hiring Now? Swimming Pool Financing: What To Know The Best Suction and Pressure-Side Pool Cleaners, Tested and Reviewed DREAME Z1 Pro Robotic Pool Cleaner is now cheaper than Black Friday
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/valuation and uncertainty: Despite the EPS beat, shares are trading near their 12‑month low with the 50‑day moving average below the 200‑day, lower-than-average intraday volume, and modest leverage (debt/equity ~1.09). The abrupt CEO change, while not yet reflected in results, creates short‑term governance/uncertainty risk that can pressure the stock.

About Pool

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.