Pool Corporation $POOL Shares Sold by GW&K Investment Management LLC

GW&K Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) by 7.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 139,853 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 11,868 shares during the quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Pool were worth $31,992,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in POOL. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new position in Pool during the 1st quarter worth $400,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in Pool by 237.9% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 17,390 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $5,536,000 after purchasing an additional 12,244 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in Pool during the 1st quarter worth $639,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Pool by 164.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 156 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Pool by 201.2% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,012 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $639,000 after purchasing an additional 1,344 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a new piece titled “Pool Corporation: Solid Business But Headwinds Persist”, suggesting investors are focusing on ongoing challenges rather than near-term upside. Pool Corporation: Solid Business But Headwinds Persist
• Positive Sentiment: A separate Seeking Alpha article, “Pool Corporation: Leaving The S&P 500 Is A Trailing Indicator (Upgrade)”, indicates at least one analyst view is more constructive and may be helping offset some of the bearish sentiment. Pool Corporation: Leaving The S&P 500 Is A Trailing Indicator (Upgrade)
• Neutral Sentiment: No major company-specific earnings or guidance update was included in the latest headlines; the move in Pool Corporation (POOL) looks more tied to sentiment and commentary around valuation, demand trends, and operating headwinds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on POOL shares. Zacks Research raised Pool from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Pool from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Pool from $240.00 to $210.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $261.38.

Pool Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of Pool stock opened at $189.89 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $198.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $223.70. Pool Corporation has a 12-month low of $172.68 and a 12-month high of $345.00. 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 market cap of $6.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.47, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.10.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last issued its earnings results 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 net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. The business had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.32 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 14th. This is an increase from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Pool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.84%.

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

Insider Transactions at Pool

In other news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez purchased 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $175.95 per share, for a total transaction of $1,759,500.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 40,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,057,002.60. This represents a 33.21% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director David G. Whalen purchased 525 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $190.44 per share, for a total transaction of $99,981.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 8,936 shares in the company, valued at $1,701,771.84. The trade was a 6.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders acquired a total of 26,989 shares of company stock valued at $5,067,747 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

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.