Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Cut to Sell at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report released on Sunday morning.

Several other research firms have also commented on POOL. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 target price on shares of Pool in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Zacks Research downgraded Pool from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Cfra raised Pool from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $304.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $273.67.

Pool Price Performance

NASDAQ:POOL opened at $233.13 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $218.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $243.42. Pool has a 52-week low of $195.49 and a 52-week high of $345.00. The firm has a market cap of $8.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.51, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 1.26.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.15). The business had revenue of $982.21 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $999.14 million. Pool had a net margin of 7.67% and a return on equity of 31.49%. Pool’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.97 earnings per share. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.850-11.150 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Pool will post 11.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th were given a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 12th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is 46.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the firm’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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 18,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,968,580. This trade represents a 13.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St acquired 5,560 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price 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 in the company, 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. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of POOL. Caledonia Investments PLC lifted its stake in Pool by 5.2% in the third quarter. Caledonia Investments PLC now owns 160,887 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $49,886,000 after acquiring an additional 8,000 shares during the last quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. grew its position in Pool by 43.9% in the third 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. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated acquired a new position in shares of Pool during the 4th quarter worth $2,399,000. Swedbank AB increased its stake in shares of Pool by 13.0% during the 3rd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 138,334 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $42,893,000 after purchasing an additional 15,915 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in shares of Pool by 42.2% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 15,333 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $4,741,000 after purchasing an additional 4,551 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Consumer interest headline could help retail demand — an Amazon story highlighting a $36 inflatable pool is boosting broader consumer attention to pool products, a small behavioral-positive signal for demand at POOL’s retail customers. Amazon’s $36 inflatable pool is durable & spacious — can actually float in it
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 outlook focus — Zacks previews Pool’s Q1 results, noting maintenance-led demand, pricing increases and digital growth as potential positives but warning that rising costs could cap margin improvement. This is the most relevant near-term fundamental piece as investors await earnings for clearer guidance on revenue mix and margins. POOL Gears Up for Q1 Earnings: Can Maintenance Demand Drive Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade — Bank of America cut Pool’s price target and moved to an “underperform” stance, creating near-term selling pressure and reducing upside in analyst coverage; this is a direct negative catalyst for the stock. Benzinga

Pool Company 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.