Pool Corporation $POOL Stock: Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC Decreases Holdings

Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC lowered its position in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) by 9.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 81,144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 8,888 shares during the period. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC owned about 0.23% of Pool worth $13,135,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Pool by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. now owns 25,455 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $4,120,000 after buying an additional 1,188 shares during the period. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Pool by 33,250.0% during the 3rd quarter. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 667 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $108,000 after buying an additional 665 shares during the last quarter. Putney Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pool in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its stake in Pool by 11.2% in the third quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 8,121 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,315,000 after buying an additional 821 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stevens Capital Partners increased its position in Pool by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. Stevens Capital Partners now owns 15,184 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,458,000 after acquiring an additional 1,277 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pool News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Pool Corporation said it will participate in the Baird Global Industrial Conference on November 10 and the Stephens Annual Investment Conference on November 17. The announcement offers investors opportunities to hear from management but included no new financial guidance or business update. Pool Corporation Announces Upcoming Investor Conference Participation

Pool Stock Performance

POOL stock opened at $219.26 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $176.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $202.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 2.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. Pool Corporation has a 12 month low of $152.70 and a 12 month high of $278.17. The company has a market capitalization of $7.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.17, a P/E/G ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.93.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The specialty retailer reported $3.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.36 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.48 billion. Pool had a net margin of 7.27% and a return on equity of 33.50%. Pool’s revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.39 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Pool Corporation will post 10.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 11th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 10th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is presently 47.84%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

POOL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Bank of America decreased their price target on Pool from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Citigroup reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Pool in a research note on Monday, October 19th. DA Davidson decreased their price target on Pool from $210.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Pool in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Pool from $189.00 to $175.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 20th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $227.70.

Pool Profile

Pool Corporation, doing business as POOLCORP, is a wholesale distributor of swimming pool and outdoor living products. The company supplies pool contractors, retailers, builders, and service professionals with products used to construct, renovate, maintain, and enhance residential and commercial pools.

Its product offerings include swimming pool equipment, pumps, filters, heaters, cleaners, lighting, chemicals, replacement parts, and maintenance supplies. POOLCORP also distributes products for outdoor living, including patio and recreational items, as well as irrigation and landscape-related supplies in selected markets.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Covington, Louisiana, POOLCORP serves customers through a network of distribution centers and sales operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.