Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Hits New 1-Year Low – Here’s Why

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $228.51 and last traded at $231.39, with a volume of 47182 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $230.55.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on POOL shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Pool from $320.00 to $250.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 15th. William Blair restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Pool in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. KeyCorp assumed coverage on Pool in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. They issued a “sector weight” rating for the company. Guggenheim began coverage on Pool in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Pool in a research report on Monday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $317.38.

Pool Stock Performance

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $254.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $289.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.64 billion, a PE ratio of 21.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.36 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a current ratio of 2.57, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $3.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.01. Pool had a return on equity of 31.40% and a net margin of 7.77%.The firm had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.46 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.26 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. Pool has set its FY 2025 guidance at 10.700-11.200 EPS. Research analysts expect that Pool Corporation will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th were paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 12th. Pool’s payout ratio is currently 45.58%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pool

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Berkshire Hathaway Inc grew its position in Pool by 136.3% during the second quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 3,458,885 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,008,196,000 after buying an additional 1,994,885 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Pool by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,563,373 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $794,825,000 after acquiring an additional 357,643 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Pool by 11.1% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 699,628 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $203,928,000 after acquiring an additional 70,075 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in shares of Pool by 35.3% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 616,041 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $179,564,000 after purchasing an additional 160,878 shares in the last quarter. Finally, William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Pool by 13.9% in the 2nd quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 586,310 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $170,898,000 after purchasing an additional 71,373 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.99% 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.