Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Grows Stock Position in Pool Corporation $POOL

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. increased its stake in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) by 607.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 141,500 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 121,500 shares during the quarter. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Pool were worth $28,630,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Pool by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 122 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in Pool by 78.6% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pool in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of Pool by 348.4% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 139 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in Pool in the second quarter valued at $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

POOL has been the subject of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings cut Pool from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Pool from $210.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Pool from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pool currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $264.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Pool news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez acquired 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $175.95 per share, with a total value of $1,759,500.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 40,108 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,057,002.60. This trade represents a 33.21% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director David G. Whalen acquired 525 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $190.44 per share, for a total transaction of $99,981.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 8,936 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,701,771.84. The trade was a 6.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders bought 21,989 shares of company stock worth $4,042,747. Insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Pool Price Performance

Pool stock opened at $210.82 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $193.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $218.21. Pool Corporation has a 12 month low of $172.68 and a 12 month high of $345.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.68 billion, a PE ratio of 19.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.05.

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

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 14th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. 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 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 14th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 47.84%.

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

Key Headlines Impacting Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several consumer-facing articles highlight pool ownership and backyard entertainment, including a discounted robotic pool cleaner and a swim-up bar feature, which may reinforce seasonal interest in pool maintenance and accessories. Score Up to 38% Off a Beatbot Robotic Pool Cleaner and Splash More, Work Less
• Positive Sentiment: A Chicago Tribune article about maximizing fun and safety around pools this summer also underscores strong seasonal awareness around pool usage, which can be supportive for Pool Corporation’s repair, chemicals, and equipment demand. Top 5 tips for maximizing both fun and safety around your pool this summer
• Neutral Sentiment: News about the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool being drained again is unrelated to Pool Corporation’s core business and is unlikely to materially affect the stock. Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool drained again as Trump administration resumes repairs
• Neutral Sentiment: Other “pool” headlines referenced unrelated companies or niche mining/pharma stories and do not appear relevant to Pool Corporation (NASDAQ: POOL).

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.