Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL) Shares Sold by Citigroup Inc.

Citigroup Inc. cut its stake in Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL – Get Rating) by 55.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 13,853 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 17,529 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc.’s holdings in Pool were worth $4,188,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of POOL. Concord Wealth Partners acquired a new position in Pool during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Spire Wealth Management lifted its position in Pool by 191.5% during the fourth quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 137 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new position in Pool during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC lifted its position in Pool by 226.8% during the fourth quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 183 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its position in Pool by 69.0% during the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 191 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. 98.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pool Stock Down 2.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ:POOL opened at $345.05 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.36, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. Pool Co. has a 12-month low of $278.10 and a 12-month high of $423.97. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $340.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $340.56. The firm has a market cap of $13.46 billion, a PE ratio of 20.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.93.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL – Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The specialty retailer reported $1.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.00 by ($0.21). Pool had a net margin of 11.23% and a return on equity of 53.96%. The business had revenue of $1.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.30 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Pool Co. will post 15.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 17th will be paid a dividend of $1.10 per share. This is a positive change from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 16th. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.28%. Pool’s payout ratio is presently 26.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Pool

In other Pool news, General Counsel Jennifer M. Neil sold 2,333 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $352.00, for a total transaction of $821,216.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel now owns 8,095 shares in the company, valued at $2,849,440. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 3.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of Pool from $460.00 to $445.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Pool from $375.00 to $425.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Stephens upgraded shares of Pool from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $415.00 to $420.00 in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Loop Capital dropped their price objective on shares of Pool from $415.00 to $410.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Pool from $404.00 to $385.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pool currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $383.20.

Pool Profile

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Pool Corp. engages in the wholesale distribution of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products. It also offers non-discretionary pool maintenance products such as chemicals and replacement parts, discretionary products like packaged pool kits, whole goods, irrigation, and landscape products, including a complete line of commercial and residential irrigation products and parts, power equipment for the professional landscape market, specialty products such as outdoor lighting, grills, and outdoor kitchen components, and golf irrigation and water management products.