Leslie’s (NASDAQ:LESL) Stock Price Down 7.7%

Shares of Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL) traded down 7.7% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $3.79 and last traded at $3.82. 2,040,738 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 34% from the average session volume of 3,071,100 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.14.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Loop Capital boosted their price target on shares of Leslie’s from $6.00 to $8.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Leslie’s in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Leslie’s from $5.40 to $6.30 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Mizuho started coverage on Leslie’s in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $7.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $6.00 target price on shares of Leslie’s in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $6.37.

Leslie’s Trading Down 5.1 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $725.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.70, a PEG ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 0.90. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $6.22 and its 200 day moving average is $6.18.

Leslie’s (NASDAQ:LESL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported ($0.21) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.22) by $0.01. Leslie’s had a net margin of 1.25% and a negative return on equity of 15.00%. The business had revenue of $173.96 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $169.17 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Leslie’s, Inc. will post 0.23 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Leslie’s

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LESL. Ariel Investments LLC grew its stake in Leslie’s by 50.6% in the 3rd quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 24,987,417 shares of the company’s stock worth $141,429,000 after acquiring an additional 8,398,488 shares during the period. Clarkston Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Leslie’s by 66.7% during the third quarter. Clarkston Capital Partners LLC now owns 15,862,297 shares of the company’s stock worth $89,781,000 after buying an additional 6,346,377 shares during the period. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Leslie’s by 55.1% in the 3rd quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 17,115,836 shares of the company’s stock worth $96,876,000 after buying an additional 6,078,768 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Leslie’s in the 3rd quarter valued at about $7,423,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors L.P. grew its holdings in Leslie’s by 136.6% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 2,230,959 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,415,000 after buying an additional 1,288,013 shares during the period.

About Leslie’s

Leslie's, Inc operates as a direct-to-consumer pool and spa care brand in the United States. The company markets and sells pool and spa supplies and related products and services. It also offers various pool and spa maintenance items, such as chemicals, equipment and parts, cleaning and maintenance equipment, safety, recreational, and fitness related products.