Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Pool Corporation $POOL

Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) by 17.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 144,707 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,298 shares during the quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Pool were worth $33,102,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pool in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in Pool by 78.6% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in Pool during the second quarter worth $30,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new stake in Pool during the second quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in Pool during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Pool from $232.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $265.13.

Pool News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board expanded share repurchase program to $600 million (authorization to buy ~7.8% of shares), signaling management views shares as undervalued and increasing potential EPS support from buybacks. Pool Corporation press release
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend increased to $1.30 per share (4.0% rise vs. prior $1.25); ex-dividend/record/payment dates announced — raises yield and returns cash to owners, making the stock more attractive to income-focused investors. TipRanks: Pool expands buyback and increases dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research moved Pool from “strong sell” to “hold”, a modestly supportive analyst action but not a strong buy signal; may temper downside sentiment. Zacks Research
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry/consumer coverage includes reviews of standalone robotic pool cleaners (Wybot B1, Aiper Scuba V3). These product reviews highlight demand for automatic pool maintenance tools but are not direct news about Pool Corp’s operations; could be watched for retail demand trends. PopSci: Wybot B1 review Android Authority: Aiper Scuba V3 review

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $605,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,039 shares in the company, valued at $3,968,580. This represents a 13.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez acquired 5,000 shares of Pool stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of $205.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,025,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 110,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,572,140. This represents a 4.76% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Pool Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:POOL opened at $213.32 on Friday. 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 $195.49 and a 52-week high of $345.00. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $213.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $240.48. The company has a market capitalization of $7.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.26.

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

Pool Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be given a $1.30 dividend. This is an increase from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.00%.

Pool declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, April 29th that allows the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the specialty retailer to purchase up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.