Core Viewpoint - Pool Corporation (POOL) reported fourth-quarter 2024 results with earnings and revenues exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate, although both metrics declined compared to the prior-year quarter [1][3]. Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) for Q4 were 97 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 91 cents, down from $1.30 in the prior-year quarter [3]. - Quarterly net revenues reached $987.5 million, beating the consensus mark of $953 million, but reflecting a 1.6% decline year over year, primarily due to poor sales in pool construction and discretionary products [3]. - Operating income fell 23.6% year over year to $60.7 million, with an operating margin of 6.1%, down 180 basis points from the previous year [5]. Cost and Expenses - Cost of sales for the quarter was $697.2 million, a decrease from $709.3 million in the prior-year quarter [4]. - Selling and administrative expenses increased by 7.1% year over year to $229.6 million, driven by inflation, network expansion, and technology investments [6]. Balance Sheet - As of December 31, 2024, cash and cash equivalents were $77.9 million, up from $66.5 million a year earlier, while net long-term debt decreased to $900.9 million from $1.02 billion [7]. - Net cash provided by operating activities for the 12 months ended December 31, 2024, was $659.2 million, down from $888.2 million in the prior-year period [7]. Annual Highlights - For 2024, net sales totaled $5.31 billion, down from $5.54 billion in 2023, and operating income was $617.2 million compared to $746.6 million in 2023 [8]. - Adjusted EPS for 2024 was $11.07, a decrease from $13.18 in the previous year [8]. Future Guidance - For 2025, Pool Corporation expects adjusted EPS to be in the range of $11.08 to $11.58 [9].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the full year 2024, the company reported revenue of $5.3 billion, a decrease of 4% from 2023, but slightly above guidance due to strong team efforts [9][40] - Gross margin for the year was 29.7%, down from 30% in the previous year, impacted by a weaker product mix and competitive pressures [45] - Operating income was $617 million with an operating margin of 11.6%, consistent with the 2020 operating margin [9][46] - Diluted EPS for the year was $11.30, a 15% decrease from the prior year [49] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Chemical sales increased by 2% for the year and 8% in Q4, driven by mid-teens growth in private label chemical sales [15][20] - Building material sales declined by 10% for the year and 8% in Q4, reflecting a 15% decline in new pool units constructed [17][41] - Equipment sales were flat for the year but increased by 6% in Q4, supported by steady maintenance-related demand [17] - Commercial pool product sales grew by 9% for both the full year and Q4 [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Florida market showed resilience with 12% growth in Q4, while other year-round markets experienced mid-single-digit declines [12][13] - European sales declined by 9% for the year and 5% in Q4, although there was sequential improvement during the swimming pool season [14][15] - Sales to independent retail customers declined by 4% for the year but increased by 1% in Q4 [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on expanding its Pool 360 ecosystem and enhancing customer experience to drive growth in maintenance business [5][21] - Strategic investments in technology and network expansion are ongoing, with ten new sales centers opened in 2024 [21][40] - The long-term outlook remains positive due to factors like southern migration and a growing millennial and Gen Z home-buying population [30][31] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that consumer spending on discretionary items remains a headwind, with new pool construction expected to decline by 15% in 2024 [6][24] - For 2025, total sales growth is expected to be flat to slightly up, driven by maintenance-related product sales and modest inflation [25][57] - Management remains cautious about the economic environment but believes deferred remodels will present growth opportunities as the economy improves [26][112] Other Important Information - The company returned $483 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases in 2024 [40][55] - Cash flow from operations was strong, with a reduction in inventory contributing to nearly $660 million in operating cash flow [40][50] - The company plans to continue investing in technology and expanding its distribution network in 2025 [60][63] Q&A Session Summary Question: Discussion on Pool 360 initiatives and their impact on sales outlook - Management expressed satisfaction with the traction of Pool 360, emphasizing its role in driving maintenance sales and efficiency for maintenance companies [78][80] Question: Growth on the DIY side of the business and implications for Pinch A Penny - Management noted that there hasn't been a significant shift from professional services to DIY, with customer experience being a key driver for growth in Pinch A Penny [85][89] Question: Guidance on new construction units and market sentiment - Management indicated that while new construction is expected to be flat, sentiment from dealers suggests a potential improvement in the second half of the year [93][96] Question: Gross margin guidance and offsets to negative impacts - Management highlighted several actions being taken to maintain gross margins, including supply chain improvements and increased private label offerings [98][100] Question: Competitive pressures and customer mix - Management discussed the impact of private equity entering the market and how it has allowed the company to focus on serving national accounts [104][105] Question: Renovation and remodel market outlook - Management noted that cash customers are likely to proceed with remodels, while financing-dependent customers may delay projects due to high interest rates [111][112] Question: Weather impact on 2025 guidance - Management acknowledged that weather conditions in 2024 may create tougher comparisons for 2025, but this has been factored into guidance [120][121] Question: Strategic thoughts around Horizon and capital allocation - Management indicated that Horizon is focused on the Sunbelt market and will not require significant capital investment unless new home construction picks up [124][126]

Financial Performance - Net sales for 2024 were $5.3 billion, a decrease of 4% from $5.5 billion in 2023, with stable maintenance activities and softer discretionary product sales due to macroeconomic conditions [5]. - Gross profit for 2024 was $1.6 billion, down 5% from $1.7 billion in 2023, resulting in a gross margin of 29.7%, a decline of 30 basis points from 30.0% in 2023 [6]. - Operating income decreased 17% to $617.2 million in 2024, with an operating margin of 11.6%, down from 13.5% in 2023 [9]. - Net income for 2024 was $434.3 million, a decline of 17% compared to $523.2 million in 2023, leading to diluted earnings per share of $11.30, down 15% from $13.35 [11]. - Adjusted EBITDA decreased 16% to $680.9 million in 2024, representing 12.8% of net sales compared to 14.6% in 2023 [12]. - Selling and administrative expenses increased 5% to $958.1 million in 2024, representing 18.0% of net sales, up from 16.5% in 2023 [7]. - Q4 2024 diluted EPS decreased to $0.98 from $1.32 in Q4 2023, representing a decline of 25.76% [49]. - Adjusted diluted EPS for Q4 2024 was $0.97, down from $1.30 in Q4 2023, a decrease of 25.38% [49]. - For the year ended December 31, 2024, diluted EPS was $11.30, compared to $13.35 in 2023, reflecting a decline of 15.36% [49]. - Adjusted diluted EPS for the year ended December 31, 2024, was $11.07, down from $13.18 in 2023, a decrease of 16.01% [49]. Cash Flow and Investments - Operating cash flows for 2024 were $659.2 million, or 152% of net income, with $306.3 million allocated for share repurchases and $179.6 million for dividends [14]. - Cash and cash equivalents increased by $11,322 million, or 17%, from $66,540 million in 2023 to $77,862 million in 2024 [31]. - Payments on asset-backed financing increased by $184,300 million, from $560,300 million in 2023 to $744,600 million in 2024 [33]. Assets and Liabilities - Total assets decreased by $59,884 million, or 2%, from $3,428,068 million in 2023 to $3,368,184 million in 2024 [31]. - Total current liabilities rose by $73,420 million, or 10%, from $770,766 million in 2023 to $844,186 million in 2024 [31]. - Total stockholders' equity decreased by $39,322 million, or 3%, from $1,312,787 million in 2023 to $1,273,465 million in 2024 [31]. Inventory and Accounts - Inventory levels were reduced by 6% to $1.3 billion, outpacing the 4% decline in net sales [13]. - Product inventories decreased by $76,166 million, or 6%, from $1,365,466 million in 2023 to $1,289,300 million in 2024 [31]. - The allowance for doubtful accounts decreased from $11.7 million in 2023 to $8.6 million in 2024 [31]. Expansion and Growth - The company expanded its sales center network by adding 10 greenfield locations and 2 acquisitions, bringing the total to 448 locations worldwide [4]. - The company acquired 2 new locations and opened 10 new locations, resulting in a total of 448 sales centers by December 31, 2024 [38]. Tax Benefits - The ASU 2016-09 tax benefit for Q4 2024 was $0.01, compared to $0.02 in Q4 2023 [49]. - The ASU 2016-09 tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2024, was $0.23, up from $0.17 in 2023 [49].

Pool Corp. (POOL) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.97 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.91 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.30 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 6.59%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this distributor of supplies for swimming pools would post earnings of $3.15 per share when it actually produced earnings of $3.26, delivering a surprise of 3.49%.Over the last ...

Highlights include: Annual net sales of $5.3 billion, anchored by a consistent stream of recurring maintenance product salesOperating income of $617.2 million, maintaining a solid operating margin of 11.6%Net cash provided by operations of $659.2 million, or 152% of net income2024 diluted EPS of $11.30, or $11.07 without tax benefits2025 diluted EPS guidance range of $11.08 - $11.58, including an estimated $0.08 tax benefit COVINGTON, La., Feb. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pool Corporation (Nasdaq/GSM:POOL) ...

COVINGTON, La., Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pool Corporation (Nasdaq: POOL) announced today that the Company will release its full year and fourth quarter 2024 earnings results before the market opens on February 20, 2025, and will hold a conference call to discuss the results at 10:00 a.m. Central Time (11:00 a.m. Eastern Time) that same day. The earnings release as well as a live webcast and replay of the conference call will be available on the Company’s website at www.poolcorp.com. The conference ...

Looking for a stock that has been consistently beating earnings estimates and might be well positioned to keep the streak alive in its next quarterly report? Pool Corp. (POOL) , which belongs to the Zacks Leisure and Recreation Products industry, could be a great candidate to consider.This distributor of supplies for swimming pools has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 2.56%.For the last r ...

Pool Corp. (POOL) has been beaten down lately with too much selling pressure. While the stock has lost 13.5% over the past four weeks, there is light at the end of the tunnel as it is now in oversold territory and Wall Street analysts expect the company to report better earnings than they predicted earlier.Guide to Identifying Oversold StocksWe use Relative Strength Index (RSI), one of the most commonly used technical indicators, for spotting whether a stock is oversold. This is a momentum oscillator that m ...

This pool-supplies distributor has made fortunes for long-term investors. A recent pullback may be an opportune time to get in on this compounder.Have you recently come across a windfall of money, moved on from some losing stocks, booked profits on a big winner, or simply set some money aside from your paycheck and are looking for ways to deploy new capital? Then this article is for you.Here's one stock idea to consider as you enter the new year. While no stock is without risk, this company is a time-tested ...

SINGAPORE, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BitFuFu Inc. (“BitFuFu” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: FUFU), a global leader in Bitcoin mining and comprehensive mining services, today announced the launch of BitFuFu Pool, its private-label mining pool offering industry-leading commission rates starting as low as 0.4%. Beginning next week, BitFuFu Pool will be available to BitFuFu app users when purchasing cloud-mining products and miner services where they can also receive promotional benefits. BitFuFu Pool is ex ...