Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL) Shares Acquired by Aurora Investment Counsel

Aurora Investment Counsel boosted its holdings in Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL) by 25.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,374 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,297 shares during the period. Pool comprises about 1.2% of Aurora Investment Counsel’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Aurora Investment Counsel’s holdings in Pool were worth $2,173,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hilton Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Pool by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. Hilton Capital Management LLC now owns 4,288 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,462,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. Atala Financial Inc bought a new stake in Pool in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Parnassus Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Pool by 33.9% during the fourth quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 274,165 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $93,474,000 after acquiring an additional 69,435 shares during the period. Impact Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pool in the 4th quarter worth about $663,000. Finally, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ boosted its stake in Pool by 14.1% during the 4th quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 9,694 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,291,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pool Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:POOL opened at $320.75 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $12.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.05. The company’s fifty day moving average is $343.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $355.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Pool Co. has a 12-month low of $293.51 and a 12-month high of $420.98.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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. Equities analysts expect that Pool Co. will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th will be given a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 12th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is 42.55%.

Insider Transactions at Pool

In other news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.00, for a total transaction of $3,460,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 62,577 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,651,642. This represents a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on POOL shares. StockNews.com cut Pool from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price 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 investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Pool presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $368.00.

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.