Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Shares Gap Up – What’s Next?

Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL) gapped up prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $357.49, but opened at $377.00. Pool shares last traded at $368.61, with a volume of 78,369 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

POOL has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 2nd. Loop Capital raised their price target on shares of Pool from $345.00 to $395.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Pool from $365.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Pool from $377.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Pool from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $369.11.

Pool Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $13.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.01. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $364.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $352.37. The company has a current ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The specialty retailer reported $3.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.15 by $0.11. Pool had a return on equity of 31.89% and a net margin of 8.42%. The company had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.50 earnings per share. Pool’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Pool Co. will post 11 EPS for the current year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 13th will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 13th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.31%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pool

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Pool during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Pool by 68.9% during the second quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 103 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Pool by 232.4% in the 2nd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 113 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of Pool by 26.2% during the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 207 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pool during the 2nd quarter valued at about $74,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

About Pool

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.