Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Takes Position in Pool Corporation $POOL

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new position in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 20,000 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. ELCO Management Co. LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pool in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $633,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Pool during the 4th quarter valued at about $306,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Pool by 24.8% in the fourth quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,328 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $533,000 after purchasing an additional 462 shares during the period. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pool in the fourth quarter worth about $659,000. Finally, Stevens Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Pool in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $573,000. 98.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pool Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ POOL opened at $182.33 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $6.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.16. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $209.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $235.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. Pool Corporation has a 52-week low of $181.10 and a 52-week high of $345.00.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. Pool had a return on equity of 32.37% and a net margin of 7.57%.Pool’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.32 EPS. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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 is Thursday, May 14th. This is a boost from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Pool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.00%.

Pool announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to purchase up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on POOL. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Pool from $240.00 to $210.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. 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. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Pool from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price objective on Pool in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $261.38.

Key Headlines Impacting Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director David G. Whalen disclosed a purchase of 525 shares at $190.44 each, a sign of insider confidence that can support investor sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Pool began the week with another round of insider-buying coverage, reinforcing that management and directors appear willing to add shares near recent lows. Insider Buying: Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Director Purchases $193,060.00 in Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus cut its price target on Pool from $240 to $210 and kept a hold rating, which suggests analysts see limited near-term upside even after the stock’s decline. Benzinga/The Fly report
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles in the news feed are about unrelated “pool” topics or non-POOL companies, and should not materially affect Pool Corporation’s shares.
• Negative Sentiment: No fresh earnings, guidance, or major contract news was reported in these articles, so the main catalyst appears to be ongoing concern about valuation and demand expectations rather than a new fundamental boost.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were bought at an average price of $190.00 per share, with a total value of $1,900,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 30,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,720,520. This represents a 49.73% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $605,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,968,580. This represents a 13.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have acquired 22,549 shares of company stock worth $4,524,052 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company’s 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.