Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Shares Gap Up - Should You Buy?

Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $357.49, but opened at $377.00. Pool shares last traded at $368.61, with a volume of 78,369 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

POOL has been the topic of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Pool from $330.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Pool from $365.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Pool from $380.00 to $386.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Pool from $377.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, November 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $369.11.

Pool Trading Up 0.5 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $13.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $364.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $352.44. The company has a current ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The specialty retailer reported $3.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.15 by $0.11. Pool had a net margin of 8.42% and a return on equity of 31.89%. The company had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.40 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.50 EPS. Pool's quarterly revenue was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Pool Co. will post 11 EPS for the current year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th will be issued a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 13th. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.31%.

Institutional Trading of Pool

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of POOL. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Pool during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Pool by 68.9% in the second quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 103 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC raised its position in Pool by 232.4% in the second quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 113 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in Pool by 26.2% during the second quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 207 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pool in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $74,000. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pool Company 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.