KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Buys Shares of 12,500 Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 12,500 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $4,262,000.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in POOL. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Pool by 2,300.0% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 72 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Atala Financial Inc bought a new position in Pool in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Pool during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in shares of Pool during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of Pool by 76.9% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 138 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Pool Price Performance

Shares of POOL stock traded down $9.26 on Friday, hitting $314.92. 271,484 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 368,554. The company has a 50 day moving average of $340.58 and a 200 day moving average of $353.55. The stock has a market cap of $11.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.05. 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 Co. has a 12 month low of $293.51 and a 12 month high of $403.61.

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Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $987.48 million for 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%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Pool Co. will post 11.32 EPS for the current year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.52%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 42.55%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez sold 10,000 shares of Pool stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.00, for a total transaction of $3,460,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 62,577 shares in the company, valued at $21,651,642. This trade represents a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on POOL shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of Pool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Pool from $370.00 to $360.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $368.00.

Pool 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.