Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Has $1.51 Million Position in Pool Corporation $POOL

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA reduced its position in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) by 98.8% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 6,599 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 533,080 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in Pool were worth $1,510,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in POOL. Caledonia Investments PLC grew its holdings in Pool by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Caledonia Investments PLC now owns 160,887 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $49,886,000 after buying an additional 8,000 shares in the last quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated purchased a new position in Pool during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,399,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in Pool by 42.2% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 15,333 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $4,741,000 after buying an additional 4,551 shares in the last quarter. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC grew its holdings in Pool by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC now owns 114,317 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $35,446,000 after buying an additional 2,024 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Pool during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,855,000. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

POOL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Zacks Research raised Pool from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Pool from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Pool currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $265.13.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St bought 5,560 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was bought at an average price of $218.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,215,805.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 82,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,115,716.15. This represents a 7.19% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 18,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,968,580. The trade was a 13.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Pool Stock Performance

Shares of POOL opened at $203.23 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $7.41 billion, a PE ratio of 18.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $213.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $239.73. Pool Corporation has a 12-month low of $195.49 and a 12-month high of $345.00.

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

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This is a boost from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is 47.84%.

Pool announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, April 29th that permits the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the specialty retailer to buy up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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.