Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL) Receives Consensus Rating of “Reduce” from Brokerages

Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL) has been assigned an average rating of “Reduce” from the eleven ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have given a hold rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $23.5833.

Several research firms have recently issued reports on LESL. Zacks Research raised Leslie’s from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley set a $1.50 price target on shares of Leslie’s and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $3.00 price objective on shares of Leslie’s in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $3.75 target price on Leslie’s and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Leslie’s in a report on Friday, December 26th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Leslie’s by 923.6% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,254,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $922,000 after buying an additional 1,131,647 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new position in Leslie’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $950,000. Ariel Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Leslie’s by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 60,903,406 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,573,000 after purchasing an additional 2,725,991 shares during the period. King Street Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Leslie’s during the second quarter worth $630,000. Finally, Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Leslie’s in the second quarter valued at $36,000.

Leslie’s Price Performance

NASDAQ LESL opened at $1.64 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $2.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $5.02. The company has a market capitalization of $15.24 million, a P/E ratio of -0.06 and a beta of 1.28. Leslie’s has a 1-year low of $1.51 and a 1-year high of $48.60.

About Leslie’s

Leslie’s, Inc (NASDAQ: LESL) is the largest direct-to-consumer retailer of swimming pool supplies and related equipment in the United States. Through a network of more than 900 company-operated stores and a robust e-commerce platform, the company offers a comprehensive range of pool chemicals, cleaning tools, pumps, filters, heaters and pool accessories. In addition to product retailing, Leslie’s provides in-store and in-home water testing services, equipment installation, repair and ongoing maintenance programs designed to support both residential and commercial pool owners.

Founded in 1963 in North Miami Beach, Florida, Leslie’s has grown from a single neighborhood pool-supply shop into a national specialty retailer.