CWA Asset Management Group LLC Sells 996 Shares of Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL)

CWA Asset Management Group LLC lowered its stake in shares of Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL) by 51.0% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 957 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 996 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLC’s holdings in Pool were worth $326,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in Pool in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Pool during the 3rd quarter worth $60,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its stake in shares of Pool by 101.2% during the third quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 326 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $123,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Pool by 24.8% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 402 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $151,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in Pool during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $160,000. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ POOL opened at $324.79 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 2.39 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $360.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $352.77. Pool Co. has a 12 month low of $293.51 and a 12 month high of $422.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.95, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.03.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The specialty retailer reported $3.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.50 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Pool Co. will post 11.02 EPS for the current year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 13th. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.48%. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.31%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

POOL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com cut shares of Pool from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Pool from $330.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Pool from $377.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Loop Capital increased their price objective on Pool from $345.00 to $395.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Pool from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Pool has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $369.25.

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.