Hayward (NYSE:HAYW) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.03 EPS

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Jul 29th, 2026

Hayward (NYSE:HAYW – Get Free Report) announced its earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.03, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $318.38 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $303.35 million. Hayward had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 11.45%. Hayward updated its FY 2026 guidance to 0.840-0.870 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Hayward’s conference call:

Strong first-half performance: Second-quarter sales rose 6% to $318 million, while first-half sales and adjusted EBITDA increased 9% and adjusted diluted EPS rose 18% to $0.26. North America delivered 9% quarterly growth, including 2% volume growth.
Full-year outlook maintained: Hayward continues to expect 2026 net sales growth of approximately 5%, adjusted diluted EPS growth of 9%-13% to $0.84-$0.87, and free cash flow of about $200 million.
Balance sheet strengthened: Debt refinancing extended the term-loan maturity to 2033 and is expected to reduce annual interest expense by approximately $6 million. Net leverage declined to 1.5 times, while the company repurchased $64 million of shares in the first half.
International markets remained weak: Europe and Rest of World sales declined 8% in the second quarter, including a 16% decline in Rest of World, primarily due to macroeconomic and geopolitical disruptions tied to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Cost pressures weighed on margins: Gross margin fell 50 basis points year over year to 48.7% as specialty metals, freight, resin, and other inflationary pressures preceded the full benefit of surcharges and mitigation actions. Management expects normal seasonal margin pressure in the third quarter, though it still targets full-year margins roughly in line with 2025.

Hayward Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of HAYW traded up $0.35 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $15.46. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,104,909 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,381,513. The company has a market cap of $3.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a fifty day moving average of $14.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.11. The company has a quick ratio of 2.47, a current ratio of 3.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Hayward has a twelve month low of $12.93 and a twelve month high of $17.73.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Hayward from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $15.00 price target (down from $16.00) on shares of Hayward in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Bank of America decreased their target price on Hayward from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research downgraded Hayward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Hayward in a report on Monday, July 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $17.50.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Hayward

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Kevin Holleran sold 120,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.28, for a total value of $2,073,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 701,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,117,323.52. The trade was a 14.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Susan M. Canning bought 2,242 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $12.76 per share, with a total value of $28,607.92. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 103,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,324,960.12. This trade represents a 2.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 222,389 shares of company stock worth $3,649,544. 4.73% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hayward

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Hayward by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 11,911,977 shares of the company’s stock worth $184,040,000 after acquiring an additional 228,397 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Hayward by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,546,816 shares of the company’s stock valued at $114,108,000 after acquiring an additional 627,866 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Hayward by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,692,591 shares of the company’s stock worth $103,406,000 after acquiring an additional 321,214 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Hayward by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,045,822 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,408,000 after purchasing an additional 430,238 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in shares of Hayward by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 5,149,647 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,562,000 after purchasing an additional 25,470 shares in the last quarter.

About Hayward

(Get Free Report)

Hayward Holdings, Inc is a leading manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial swimming pool equipment and related outdoor living products. The company designs, engineers and produces a comprehensive range of products that address water circulation, filtration, heating, sanitation, automation, lighting and cleaning needs for pools and spas. Hayward’s offerings include pumps, filters, heaters, salt and chemical sanitization systems, automation controls, lights, robotic cleaners and various accessories that serve both new pool construction and aftermarket renovation markets.

Hayward’s product portfolio is organized into several core categories.