Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Stifel Nicolaus Analyst Says

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) had its price objective hoisted by equities research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $232.00 to $240.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “hold” rating on the specialty retailer’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price objective would suggest a potential upside of 4.95% from the company’s current price.

Several other analysts also recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Pool in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Pool from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday, April 19th. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on shares of Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 target price on Pool in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pool currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $274.56.

Pool Stock Down 2.4%

Pool stock opened at $228.68 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $217.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $243.25. The firm has a market cap of $8.39 billion, a PE ratio of 21.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 1.26. Pool has a twelve month low of $195.49 and a twelve month high of $345.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 2.24.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share (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 analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. Pool had a return on equity of 31.49% and a net margin of 7.67%.Pool’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Pool will post 11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Trading of Pool

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of POOL. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Pool by 3,831.9% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,001,987 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $457,955,000 after purchasing an additional 1,951,070 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Pool in the fourth quarter valued at $97,612,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Pool by 16.2% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,563,373 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $794,825,000 after purchasing an additional 357,643 shares during the period. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP bought a new position in Pool in the fourth quarter worth $68,625,000. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its stake in Pool by 254.6% during the fourth quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 339,716 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $77,710,000 after buying an additional 243,907 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

More Pool News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on EPS and showed revenue growth: net sales rose ~6% to about $1.14B, operating income grew ~7%, and GAAP diluted EPS was roughly $1.45 (adjusted EPS +8% y/y). The company reiterated FY2026 EPS guidance of $10.87–$11.17, supporting the view of steady underlying performance. Pool Corp Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings call tone was constructive: management highlighted resilient maintenance demand, gradual recovery in discretionary categories, contribution from greenfield investments and early signs of operating expense leverage as new centers mature — signals that execution is intact. Earnings Call Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst reactions are mixed: some outlets noted an initial positive market reaction to the print, but major analysts keep a cautious stance as the story balances growth with margin/inventory risks. Read the call transcript for detail. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Inventory and leverage grew materially: inventory rose ~14% to ~$1.7B ahead of seasonality and expanded product mix, and total debt increased by ~$222.6M to ~$1.2B largely to fund ~$349M of share repurchases — raising concerns about working capital management and higher interest expense. These items increase near-term financial risk. QuiverQuant Q1 Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressures and expense trends: gross margin slipped ~20 bps (to 29.0%) due to mix and early buy activity, while selling & admin expenses rose ~5% y/y. William Blair and other analysts flag margin pressure, inventory build and macro uncertainty — a key reason for neutral/hold stances. Analyst Note (TipRanks)
• Negative Sentiment: Investor positioning and insider activity: data show some large institutional trimming and a mix of insider buys and sales (including recent insider sales), which can amplify downward pressure when combined with the operational cautions above. QuiverQuant Ownership & Insider Data

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.