Neuberger Berman Group LLC Decreases Stake in Pool Corporation $POOL

Neuberger Berman Group LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) by 97.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,045 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 286,577 shares during the quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC’s holdings in Pool were worth $2,494,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of POOL. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Pool during the 1st quarter valued at about $400,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Pool by 237.9% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 17,390 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $5,536,000 after purchasing an additional 12,244 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pool during the first quarter valued at approximately $639,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Pool by 164.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 156 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Pool by 201.2% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,012 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $639,000 after purchasing an additional 1,344 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Pool Trading Down 2.0%

NASDAQ:POOL opened at $213.66 on Friday. Pool Corporation 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 $267.80. 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 2.67 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 earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.99 by ($0.15). Pool had a net margin of 7.67% and a return on equity of 31.49%. The company had revenue of $982.21 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $999.14 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.97 earnings per share. Pool’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.850-11.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Pool Corporation will post 11.32 EPS for the current year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. Pool’s payout ratio is presently 46.13%.

Trending Headlines about Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts still see meaningful upside vs. the current share price — consensus targets (~$266) and some $281 estimates imply roughly 25–30% upside from current levels, supporting a potential rebound if fundamentals stabilize. Pool Corporation Is Down 39%, But Wall Street Still Sees a $281 Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance was set at $10.85–$11.15 EPS, which is roughly in line but slightly below some analyst forecasts (consensus ~11.32); guidance provides a forward framework but leaves room for analyst revisions.
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry and consumer headlines this week (robotic cleaners, swim-jet upgrades, and pool-usage stories) are mostly product- and consumer-focused and don’t directly alter Pool Corp’s distributor/wholesale model, though cheaper robo-cleaners could be a long-term competitive consideration. Examples: Beatbot Sora 70 review, iGarden Swim Jet X, Aiper Experts Duo. Beatbot Sora 70 review iGarden Swim Jet X Aiper Experts Duo
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results missed estimates: reported EPS of $0.84 vs. ~$0.99 expected and revenue of $982.2M vs. ~$999.1M expected; revenue declined ~0.5% year-over-year — a clear near-term earnings and top-line headwind for the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Technical and balance-sheet pressures: the share price sits well below its 50‑day (~$246) and 200‑day (~$268) moving averages, the stock is near its 1‑year low, and debt/equity (~1.0) plus a quick ratio under 1 signal some leverage and short-term liquidity considerations.
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and liquidity: trading volume has been below average recently and the stock has fallen sharply over the past year (~39% decline), increasing the risk of further analyst downgrades or multiple compression if growth doesn’t reaccelerate.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on POOL. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Pool from $240.00 to $232.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered Pool from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price objective on Pool in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Pool currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $281.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,968,580. This represents a 13.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St bought 5,560 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $218.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,215,805.20. Following the purchase, the senior vice president owned 82,845 shares in the company, valued at $18,115,716.15. This trade represents a 7.19% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

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.