Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the thirteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $235.6667.

POOL has been the subject of several analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Pool from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $185.00 price objective on shares of Pool in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Pool from $235.00 to $189.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on Pool from $280.00 to $227.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Finally, Stephens reduced their price target on Pool from $290.00 to $225.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday.

Pool News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Pool reported second-quarter revenue of about $1.82 billion, up 2% year over year, with adjusted EPS of $5.38 beating estimates. The company also said recurring maintenance demand and building materials growth helped offset softness elsewhere. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management confirmed its annual earnings outlook excluding CEO transition costs, suggesting the core business remains stable despite a mixed quarter. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary has been mixed-to-neutral, with at least one firm maintaining a Hold rating after the earnings release, reinforcing a wait-and-see stance. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Gross margin declined and operating income fell, with management pointing to higher freight costs, customer mix, muted discretionary demand, and weak new pool construction as headwinds. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The company’s FY2026 EPS guidance of $10.66 to $10.96 came in below the market’s expectation, which may be weighing on investor sentiment. Article Title

Pool Stock Performance

NASDAQ POOL opened at $183.77 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $196.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $216.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. Pool has a 12-month low of $172.68 and a 12-month high of $336.15. The firm has a market cap of $6.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.91, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.05.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $5.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.33 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.82 billion. Pool had a return on equity of 32.74% and a net margin of 7.40%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $5.17 earnings per share. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.660-10.960 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Pool will post 10.98 EPS for the current year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 14th were paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 14th. This is a positive change from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Pool’s payout ratio is 47.84%.

Pool announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to buy up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Pool

In related news, Director James D. Hope bought 464 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $194.41 per share, with a total value of $90,206.24. Following the transaction, the director owned 3,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $715,039.98. This trade represents a 14.44% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director John E. Stokely bought 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $193.06 per share, for a total transaction of $193,060.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 16,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,133,363.80. This represents a 6.57% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders acquired a total of 21,989 shares of company stock valued at $4,042,747 in the last 90 days. 3.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Pool

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of POOL. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of Pool by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,563,373 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $794,825,000 after acquiring an additional 357,643 shares during the period. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Pool by 3,831.9% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,001,987 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $457,955,000 after purchasing an additional 1,951,070 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in shares of Pool by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,371,772 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $313,794,000 after purchasing an additional 23,736 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Pool by 21.6% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 837,658 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $191,614,000 after purchasing an additional 148,519 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Southpoint Capital Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Pool by 66.7% during the first quarter. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP now owns 500,000 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $101,165,000 after purchasing an additional 200,000 shares in the last quarter. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.