Hayward (NYSE:HAYW) Shares Gap Down – Here’s Why

Hayward Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HAYW) shares gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $15.88, but opened at $14.94. Hayward shares last traded at $14.8940, with a volume of 813,893 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HAYW has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $15.00 price objective (down from $16.00) on shares of Hayward in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Zacks Research cut shares of Hayward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Hayward from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Bank of America decreased their price target on Hayward from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Hayward in a report on Monday, July 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $17.50.

Hayward Stock Up 1.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 2.47 and a current ratio of 3.26. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $14.89 and its 200 day moving average is $15.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.23 billion, a PE ratio of 20.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.07.

Hayward (NYSE:HAYW) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $255.22 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $239.13 million. Hayward had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 11.45%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.10 EPS. Hayward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.840-0.870 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Hayward Holdings, Inc. will post 0.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Hayward

In other news, CEO Kevin Holleran sold 120,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.28, for a total transaction of $2,073,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 701,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,117,323.52. This trade represents a 14.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Susan M. Canning acquired 2,242 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $12.76 per share, with a total value of $28,607.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 103,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,324,960.12. The trade was a 2.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders sold 222,389 shares of company stock worth $3,649,544 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 4.73% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Hayward

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Hayward by 80.2% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,058 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 916 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hayward by 82.4% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,183 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 986 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in shares of Hayward by 103.9% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 1,265 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Hayward in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hayward by 669.4% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,716 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 3,233 shares during the period.

Hayward Company Profile

Hayward Holdings, Inc is a leading manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial swimming pool equipment and related outdoor living products. The company designs, engineers and produces a comprehensive range of products that address water circulation, filtration, heating, sanitation, automation, lighting and cleaning needs for pools and spas. Hayward’s offerings include pumps, filters, heaters, salt and chemical sanitization systems, automation controls, lights, robotic cleaners and various accessories that serve both new pool construction and aftermarket renovation markets.

Hayward’s product portfolio is organized into several core categories.