Franklin Resources Inc. Purchases 2,789 Shares of Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL)

Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 13.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 24,302 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 2,789 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Pool worth $8,286,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Pool by 2,300.0% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 72 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new stake in Pool during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Pool during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its stake in Pool by 76.9% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 138 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Pool in the 3rd quarter worth about $60,000. 98.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pool Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ POOL traded down $0.61 on Monday, reaching $310.66. 116,034 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 377,424. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $330.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $349.07. Pool Co. has a 12 month low of $284.28 and a 12 month high of $395.60. The company has a market cap of $11.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.13.

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Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.08. Pool had a return on equity of 31.11% and a net margin of 8.18%. The firm had revenue of $987.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $961.04 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Pool Co. will post 11.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were given a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.55%. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.55%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on POOL shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Pool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Pool in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "hold" rating and a $344.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Pool from $360.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $360.33.

Insider Transactions at Pool

In other Pool news, SVP Jennifer M. Neil sold 1,223 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total value of $385,245.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 9,667 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,045,105. This trade represents a 11.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,651,642. The trade was a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

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.