Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Research Coverage Started at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued a hold rating and a $344.00 target price on the specialty retailer’s stock.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on POOL. StockNews.com lowered Pool from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Pool from $370.00 to $360.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $365.33.

Pool Stock Performance

Shares of POOL stock opened at $313.85 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $337.47 and a 200-day moving average of $352.67. Pool has a one year low of $293.51 and a one year high of $402.45. The stock has a market cap of $11.84 billion, a PE ratio of 27.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $987.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $961.04 million. Pool had a net margin of 8.18% and a return on equity of 31.11%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Pool will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 12th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.55%.

Insider Transactions at Pool

In related news, SVP Jennifer M. Neil sold 1,223 shares of Pool stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total value of $385,245.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 9,667 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,045,105. The trade was a 11.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.00, for a total value of $3,460,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 62,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,651,642. This trade represents a 13.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pool

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in Pool by 2,300.0% during the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 72 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in shares of Pool during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pool in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in Pool by 790.9% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 98 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FWL Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Pool during the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool Company Profile

Pool Corporation distributes swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products in the United States and internationally. The company offers maintenance products, including chemicals, supplies, and pool accessories; repair and replacement parts for pool equipment, such as cleaners, filters, heaters, pumps, and lights; and building materials, such as concrete, plumbing and electrical components, functional and decorative pool surfaces, decking materials, tiles, hardscapes, and natural stones for pool installations and remodeling.