Stifel Nicolaus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Stock Price

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) had its target price dropped by analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $240.00 to $210.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “hold” rating on the specialty retailer’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ target price indicates a potential upside of 12.43% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on POOL. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Bank of America cut their price target on Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price objective on shares of Pool in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Pool presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $261.38.

Pool Price Performance

Shares of POOL opened at $186.79 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $212.09 and its 200-day moving average is $237.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The company has a market capitalization of $6.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.16. Pool has a fifty-two week low of $184.50 and a fifty-two week high of $345.00.

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

Pool announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to buyback $600.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to reacquire up to 7.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Pool

In other news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez acquired 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $190.00 per share, with a total value of $1,900,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 30,108 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,720,520. This represents a 49.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director James D. Hope bought 464 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $194.41 per share, for a total transaction of $90,206.24. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 3,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $715,039.98. This trade represents a 14.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 22,024 shares of company stock valued at $4,424,071. 3.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pool

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in POOL. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Pool by 20.7% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,054 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,427,000 after purchasing an additional 1,209 shares during the period. Copeland Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Pool by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 71,259 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $14,418,000 after buying an additional 1,233 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in Pool by 114.7% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 4,159 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $841,000 after buying an additional 2,222 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. bought a new position in Pool in the 1st quarter worth approximately $319,000. Finally, Sanctuary Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Pool by 34.8% during the first quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 11,177 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $2,261,000 after buying an additional 2,884 shares during the last quarter. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.