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

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on POOL. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Pool from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Cfra raised shares of Pool from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $304.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Pool in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price objective on shares of Pool in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, 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 note on Tuesday, February 24th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $281.50.

Pool Trading Down 2.0%

NASDAQ:POOL opened at $213.66 on Friday. Pool has a one year low of $210.67 and a one year high of $374.74. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $246.85 and a 200-day moving average price of $268.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 2.24 and a quick ratio of 0.59.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.99 by ($0.15). The company had revenue of $982.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $999.14 million. Pool had a net margin of 7.67% and a return on equity of 31.49%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.97 EPS. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.850-11.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Pool will post 11.32 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St acquired 5,560 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $218.67 per share, with a total value of $1,215,805.20. Following the acquisition, the senior vice president directly owned 82,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,115,716.15. The trade was a 7.19% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 18,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,968,580. This represents a 13.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Pool

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CNB Bank raised its position in shares of Pool by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. CNB Bank now owns 918 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $285,000 after buying an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH raised its position in Pool by 4.2% during the third quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 999 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $310,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its stake in shares of Pool by 22.0% in the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 227 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Pool by 20.0% in the 4th quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 270 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Pool by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,228 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,001,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.