Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. Has $5.04 Million Position in Pool Corporation $POOL

Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. raised its stake in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) by 120.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,902 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 13,602 shares during the period. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc.’s holdings in Pool were worth $5,038,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

POOL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Stephens decreased their target price on shares of Pool from $290.00 to $225.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on shares of Pool from $280.00 to $227.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Pool from $235.00 to $189.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Pool from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Pool has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $235.67.

Key Stories Impacting Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Pool reported second-quarter revenue of about $1.82 billion, up 2% year over year, with adjusted EPS of $5.38 beating estimates. The company also said recurring maintenance demand and building materials growth helped offset softness elsewhere. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management confirmed its annual earnings outlook excluding CEO transition costs, suggesting the core business remains stable despite a mixed quarter. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary has been mixed-to-neutral, with at least one firm maintaining a Hold rating after the earnings release, reinforcing a wait-and-see stance. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Gross margin declined and operating income fell, with management pointing to higher freight costs, customer mix, muted discretionary demand, and weak new pool construction as headwinds. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The company’s FY2026 EPS guidance of $10.66 to $10.96 came in below the market’s expectation, which may be weighing on investor sentiment. Article Title

Insider Activity

In other news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez acquired 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $175.95 per share, with a total value of $1,759,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 40,108 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,057,002.60. This represents a 33.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director James D. Hope bought 464 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $194.41 per share, for a total transaction of $90,206.24. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 3,678 shares in the company, valued at $715,039.98. The trade was a 14.44% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders purchased 21,989 shares of company stock worth $4,042,747. 3.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Pool Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ POOL opened at $183.77 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 2.67. The firm has a market cap of $6.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.05. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $196.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $216.12. Pool Corporation has a 52 week low of $172.68 and a 52 week high of $336.15.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $5.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.33 by $0.05. Pool had a return on equity of 32.74% and a net margin of 7.40%.The business had revenue of $1.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $5.17 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.660-10.960 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Pool Corporation will post 10.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th were given a $1.30 dividend. This is a positive change from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 14th. Pool’s payout ratio is 47.84%.

Pool announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, April 29th that permits the company to buyback $600.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the specialty retailer to purchase up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.