38,453 Shares in Pool Corporation $POOL Acquired by Concentric Capital Strategies LP

Concentric Capital Strategies LP purchased a new stake in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 38,453 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $8,796,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in POOL. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Pool by 2,435.4% in the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,290,958 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $295,307,000 after purchasing an additional 1,240,041 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Pool in the fourth quarter worth $97,612,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of Pool by 16.2% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,563,373 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $794,825,000 after purchasing an additional 357,643 shares in the last quarter. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP purchased a new position in shares of Pool in the fourth quarter valued at $68,625,000. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. raised its stake in shares of Pool by 254.6% during the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 339,716 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $77,710,000 after purchasing an additional 243,907 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pool News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles are centered on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool algae issue and related political coverage, which is unrelated to Pool Corporation’s business and is unlikely to have a direct impact on POOL shares.
• Neutral Sentiment: No company-specific earnings, guidance, analyst, or acquisition news was included in the latest headlines, so the stock’s move appears more likely tied to broader market sentiment than a fundamental update for Pool Corporation.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on POOL shares. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Pool from $240.00 to $210.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price target on shares of Pool in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings lowered Pool from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Pool currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $261.38.

Pool Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of POOL opened at $194.34 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $7.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.10. Pool Corporation has a 1 year low of $172.68 and a 1 year high of $345.00. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $197.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $222.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.09. Pool had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.32 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue 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, analysts forecast that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool Increases Dividend

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

Pool declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 29th that allows the company to buyback $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the specialty retailer to reacquire up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director David G. Whalen acquired 525 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $190.44 per share, for a total transaction of $99,981.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,936 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,701,771.84. This trade represents a 6.24% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez bought 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $175.95 per share, for a total transaction of $1,759,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 40,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,057,002.60. This trade represents a 33.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have bought 21,989 shares of company stock worth $4,042,747. 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.