Neuberger Berman Group LLC Sells 286,577 Shares of Pool Corporation $POOL

Neuberger Berman Group LLC decreased its position in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) by 97.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,045 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 286,577 shares during the quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC’s holdings in Pool were worth $2,494,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Berkshire Hathaway Inc lifted its position in shares of Pool by 136.3% in the 2nd quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 3,458,885 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,008,196,000 after purchasing an additional 1,994,885 shares during the period. Caledonia Investments PLC grew its holdings in shares of Pool by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Caledonia Investments PLC now owns 160,887 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $49,886,000 after acquiring an additional 8,000 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH raised its position in shares of Pool by 224.7% in the 2nd quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 61,696 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $17,983,000 after acquiring an additional 42,696 shares in the last quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. raised its position in shares of Pool by 43.9% in the 3rd quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 40,719 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $12,626,000 after acquiring an additional 12,424 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Achmea Investment Management B.V. lifted its stake in shares of Pool by 37.5% in the 2nd quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. now owns 4,480 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,305,000 after purchasing an additional 1,221 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pool News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts still see meaningful upside vs. the current share price — consensus targets (~$266) and some $281 estimates imply roughly 25–30% upside from current levels, supporting a potential rebound if fundamentals stabilize. Pool Corporation Is Down 39%, But Wall Street Still Sees a $281 Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance was set at $10.85–$11.15 EPS, which is roughly in line but slightly below some analyst forecasts (consensus ~11.32); guidance provides a forward framework but leaves room for analyst revisions.
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry and consumer headlines this week (robotic cleaners, swim-jet upgrades, and pool-usage stories) are mostly product- and consumer-focused and don’t directly alter Pool Corp’s distributor/wholesale model, though cheaper robo-cleaners could be a long-term competitive consideration. Examples: Beatbot Sora 70 review, iGarden Swim Jet X, Aiper Experts Duo. Beatbot Sora 70 review iGarden Swim Jet X Aiper Experts Duo
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results missed estimates: reported EPS of $0.84 vs. ~$0.99 expected and revenue of $982.2M vs. ~$999.1M expected; revenue declined ~0.5% year-over-year — a clear near-term earnings and top-line headwind for the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Technical and balance-sheet pressures: the share price sits well below its 50‑day (~$246) and 200‑day (~$268) moving averages, the stock is near its 1‑year low, and debt/equity (~1.0) plus a quick ratio under 1 signal some leverage and short-term liquidity considerations.
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and liquidity: trading volume has been below average recently and the stock has fallen sharply over the past year (~39% decline), increasing the risk of further analyst downgrades or multiple compression if growth doesn’t reaccelerate.

Pool Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:POOL opened at $213.66 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.24, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $246.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $267.80. Pool Corporation has a 12-month low of $210.67 and a 12-month high of $374.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.71, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.25.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.84 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.15). Pool had a return on equity of 31.49% and a net margin of 7.67%.The company had revenue of $982.21 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $999.14 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.97 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.850-11.150 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Pool Corporation will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is 46.13%.

Insider Transactions at Pool

In other news, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $605,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 18,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,968,580. This represents a 13.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St bought 5,560 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $218.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,215,805.20. Following the purchase, the senior vice president owned 82,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,115,716.15. This represents a 7.19% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on POOL shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Pool in a research report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Cfra upgraded shares of Pool from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $304.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Pool from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price target on shares of Pool in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Pool currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $281.50.

Pool 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.