Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL) Shares Bought by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 328,151 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 5,454 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 0.86% of Pool worth $111,878,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Pool Stock Performance

NASDAQ POOL opened at $291.59 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 2.05. The stock's fifty day moving average is $323.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $344.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.13. Pool Co. has a fifty-two week low of $284.28 and a fifty-two week high of $395.60.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.42 by ($0.10). Pool had a net margin of 8.18% and a return on equity of 31.11%. The firm had revenue of $1.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. On average, research analysts anticipate that Pool Co. will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.65%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Pool's payout ratio is presently 45.03%.

Insider Activity at Pool

In related news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.00, for a total value of $3,460,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 62,577 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,651,642. The trade was a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Jennifer M. Neil sold 1,223 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total transaction of $385,245.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 9,667 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,045,105. This trade represents a 11.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on POOL shares. StockNews.com cut shares of Pool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Pool from $340.00 to $330.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. 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. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Pool from $360.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Pool from $325.00 to $310.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $348.33.

About Pool

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.