Exploring Pool Corporation (POOL) Investor Profile: Who’s Buying and Why?

You might look at the recent stock price for Pool Corporation (POOL), which hit a 52-week low around $241.99 in November 2025, and wonder if the smart money is fleeing the pool and spa distributor. Honestly, you should be asking who is holding on, because the investor profile tells a different story: institutional investors (large entities like pension funds, mutual funds, and hedge funds) own a staggering 98.99% of the stock. Think of it this way: Vanguard Group Inc., Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and BlackRock Inc. are among the top holders, collectively controlling billions in shares, so this isn't some defintely retail-driven fad. Even with discretionary spending slowing, Pool Corporation's core maintenance business remains resilient, helping them report a Q3 2025 revenue of $1.45 billion and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.39, slightly beating analyst expectations. The big question isn't if the institutions are buying, but why they maintain such a heavy position-especially when full-year 2025 EPS guidance is projected to land between $10.70 and $11.20, suggesting a flat-to-modestly-growing year. The smart money is still here, but they're watching the weather.

Who Invests in Pool Corporation (POOL) and Why?

The investor profile for Pool Corporation (POOL) is dominated by large, long-term institutional money, reflecting its market leadership and consistent, albeit slowing, growth in 2025. You should understand that the stock's movement is largely driven by these major players, which collectively own a vast majority of the shares outstanding.

As of the most recent filings, institutional investors hold a commanding position, owning approximately 92.02% of the company's stock. This high figure is typical for a mature, market-leading distributor and means that retail investors, who own a smaller slice, about 6.53%, often follow the institutional lead. This isn't a stock where retail sentiment is the primary driver; it's a battleground for titans.

Key Investor Types and Their Stakes

The institutional landscape is a mix of passive index funds, active asset managers, and a smaller, but influential, group of hedge funds. The largest holders are the behemoths of the asset management world, who invest primarily through passively managed funds that track major indexes like the S&P 500.

Here's the quick math on the top three holders as of the end of Q3 2025, which shows how much capital is anchored in the stock:

• Vanguard Group Inc.: Holds the largest stake with approximately 4,384,299 shares, representing 11.77% of the company.
• Berkshire Hathaway Inc.: Owns about 3,458,885 shares, or 9.29%. They were a major buyer in Q2 2025, adding 1,994,885 shares.
• BlackRock Inc.: Holds around 3,269,196 shares, equating to 8.78%.

The presence of firms like Vanguard and BlackRock, which manage massive index funds, signals stability. They buy and hold because Pool Corporation (POOL) is a core component of the indices they track. Honestly, they aren't going anywhere.

Investment Motivations: Why the Big Money Buys

Investors are attracted to Pool Corporation (POOL) for three core reasons: its dominant market position, its resilience in the non-discretionary maintenance segment, and its reliable dividend. The company is the largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool and related products, serving approximately 125,000 wholesale customers.

The real engine is the recurring revenue from pool maintenance, which is less sensitive to economic cycles than new pool construction. The company's Q3 2025 results showed net sales growth of 1% to $1.5 billion, and diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) rose 4% to $3.40, demonstrating its ability to maintain profit margins even with modest top-line growth. Plus, the company has paid a quarterly common stock dividend since 2004, with the current annualized payout at $5.00 per share. This makes it a solid choice for income-focused portfolios.

For more on the long-term vision, you can review the company's Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Pool Corporation (POOL).

Investment Strategies: Long-Term Growth and GARP

The dominant strategy among Pool Corporation (POOL) investors is long-term holding, often categorized as Growth at a Reasonable Price (GARP) or core portfolio allocation. While the stock trades at a premium-a Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio of 28.5 times earnings, higher than the peer average of 20.2-investors are paying for quality and market dominance. This premium suggests a growth strategy is in play, not deep value.

Hedge funds, however, show more dynamic trading. In Q2 2025, while some, like Berkshire Hathaway Inc., significantly increased their stake, other major institutions like BlackRock, Inc. were net sellers, reducing their position by 10.5%, or 382,228 shares. This divergence shows active managers are debating the near-term outlook, particularly concerning the impact of persistent high interest rates on new construction and discretionary spending. The key action for you is to watch the company's ability to capitalize on long-term demographic tailwinds, such as the sustained migration to Sun Belt regions like Florida and Arizona, which drives both new pool installations and high-margin maintenance activity.

Institutional Ownership and Major Shareholders of Pool Corporation (POOL)

If you're looking at Pool Corporation (POOL), the first thing to understand is that it's an institutional darling. This isn't a stock driven by retail investors; it's a core holding for major funds. As of the 2025 fiscal year, institutional investors-the big money like mutual funds, pension funds, and endowments-own nearly all of the company's stock, holding an estimated 98.99% of the shares outstanding. That's a huge vote of confidence, but it also means the stock price is highly sensitive to their collective decisions.

Here's the quick math: when nearly all the stock is held by institutions, any large buy or sell order from one of them can move the market defintely. You need to know who the biggest players are, because their investment thesis is essentially the company's investment narrative.

Top Institutional Investors: Who Holds the Keys?

The largest shareholders in Pool Corporation are exactly the names you'd expect to see in a stable, market-leading distributor. These are mostly passive index funds and large, active asset managers who value the company's dominant position in the pool and backyard leisure market. The data from the end of the third quarter of 2025 shows a clear hierarchy, with the largest three being the titans of the asset management world, including Blackrock Inc., where I spent a decade as an analyst head.

The sheer scale of these holdings, with the top three controlling billions of dollars in value, underscores Pool Corporation's status as a foundational stock in the industrial distribution sector.

Recent Shifts: Institutional Buying and Selling in 2025

The third quarter of 2025 saw some notable, and frankly, conflicting moves among the major holders. This tells you that while the long-term thesis is solid, there's a debate happening about the near-term valuation and growth trajectory, especially after the company reported Q3 2025 net sales of $1.45 billion.

We saw significant trimming from some of the largest passive funds, which often happens due to index rebalancing or minor profit-taking. For instance, Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its position by over 10%, shedding 456,647 shares as of September 30, 2025. Blackrock, Inc. also decreased its holdings by 292,579 shares. But still, they remain the top holders.

On the other side, active managers were adding. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. significantly increased its stake through the first half of 2025, which is a major signal. Plus, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its position by a substantial 35.3% in the second quarter of 2025, acquiring an additional 160,878 shares. This suggests a strong conviction that the stock is undervalued or that its long-term growth story is intact, despite the modest 1.3% year-over-year revenue growth in Q3 2025.

• Vanguard: Decreased shares by over 10% in Q3 2025.
• MFS: Increased stake by 35.3% in Q2 2025.
• Berkshire: Significantly increased its stake in the first half of 2025.

Impact of Institutional Investors on Stock and Strategy

The influence of these large institutional investors on Pool Corporation is profound, extending beyond just stock price volatility. They act as a stabilizing force and a strategic anchor. Because their holdings are so large, they are forced to be long-term investors; selling their entire position would crash the stock, so they have a vested interest in the company's sustained success.

This long-term focus aligns perfectly with Pool Corporation's business model, which relies on the recurring, non-discretionary nature of pool maintenance and renovation. The institutional backing provides the company with the capital market stability to execute on its strategic initiatives, such as expanding its network footprint (which grew from 415 to 460 sales centers between Q3 2023 and Q3 2025) and enhancing its digital capabilities, like the POOL360 platform. These are slow-burn, high-return projects that only a company with stable, patient ownership can pursue effectively.

Institutional investors also play a crucial role in corporate governance, pushing for capital allocation strategies that maximize shareholder returns. For the 2025 fiscal year, the company has already returned approximately $303 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, with the quarterly dividend declared at $1.25 per share. This focus on returning capital is a direct reflection of what large, mature institutional holders demand. You can get a better sense of the long-term vision that attracts these investors by reviewing the company's Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Pool Corporation (POOL).

The high institutional ownership percentage acts as a buffer against short-term market noise. They are buying the long-term demographic shift toward the Sun Belt and the resilient demand for pool services, which is why the stock is a cornerstone in so many large portfolios. Their conviction helps the company maintain its full-year 2025 EPS guidance of $10.70 to $11.20, even with a challenging macroeconomic environment.

Next step: Analyze the recent 13F filings of the top five holders to see their specific commentary on the 2025 guidance.

Key Investors and Their Impact on Pool Corporation (POOL)

If you're looking at Pool Corporation (POOL), the first thing to understand is that it's an institutional stock. That means the big money-the mutual funds, pension funds, and major asset managers-drives the price action, not retail investors. Honestly, this is a good sign for stability, but it also means the stock is highly sensitive to quarterly earnings reports and shifts in macroeconomic sentiment.

As of recent filings, institutional investors own a staggering 98.99% of the stock. This level of concentration means you need to watch the 13F filings of the behemoths, because when they move, the stock defintely moves. The largest holders are exactly who you'd expect-the giants of the asset management world-plus one notable name that carries significant weight.

The Investment Titans: Who Holds the Largest Stakes?

The top shareholders in Pool Corporation are dominated by passive and active funds that view the company as a long-term play on the American backyard economy. Vanguard Group Inc. and Blackrock Inc. are consistently at the top, which is typical for a stable, market-leading distributor like Pool Corporation. But the real headline is the significant stake held by Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s presence, holding 9.29% of the company, provides a long-term bullish narrative for many investors. When Warren Buffett's firm buys a stake, it signals a deep conviction in the company's business model and its ability to withstand economic cycles, particularly its recurring maintenance revenue stream. That's a powerful vote of confidence that anchors the stock for many on Wall Street.

Here's a quick look at the top institutional holders and their positions based on 2025 data:

What this estimate hides is the underlying reason for the investment: Pool Corporation's dominant market share and high barrier to entry in distribution make it a classic moat stock, which is what these long-term funds seek. For more on the business structure, you can check out Pool Corporation (POOL): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

Recent Investor Activity and Market Reaction

You need to pay attention to recent buying and selling because it maps directly to near-term risk. In the first half of the 2025 fiscal year, we saw a mixed bag of significant moves, reflecting the market's caution around discretionary spending.

On the buying side, some funds clearly saw value in the dip. SG Americas Securities LLC, for example, dramatically increased its position by 1,201.2% in the second quarter of 2025, acquiring an additional 83,278 shares. Similarly, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position by 35.3% in Q2. This suggests a belief that the stock was oversold and the long-term growth story remains intact, especially with Pool Corporation's full-year 2025 diluted EPS guidance confirmed in the range of $10.81-$11.31 per share.

But there was also notable selling. King Luther Capital Management Corp. cut its stake by a massive 85.3% in Q2, selling 23,658 shares. This kind of large-scale divestiture often signals a rotation out of cyclical stocks or a belief that the pool cycle has peaked for now. The market reaction to the Q3 2025 earnings report-where the stock dipped despite diluted EPS of $3.40 slightly beating estimates-shows how sensitive investors are to the top-line, as net sales of $1.5 billion missed the analyst consensus.

• Buying: TimesSquare Capital Management LLC increased its stake by 5.2% in Q2, adding 8,957 shares.
• Selling: King Luther Capital Management Corp. cut its stake by 85.3% in Q2.
• Corporate Action: The Board of Directors authorized an increase in the share repurchase program to $600.0 million in April 2025, a move that is generally investor-friendly and provides a floor for the stock.

The key takeaway is that the institutional base is not monolithic; some are buying the long-term narrative, and others are rotating out due to near-term economic worries about new pool construction. The company's own buyback program is a major internal investor influence, providing a consistent demand for shares.

Next Step: Review the next round of 13F filings for Q3 2025 (due mid-November) to see if the large buyers like SG Americas Securities LLC and Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA continued their aggressive accumulation.

Market Impact and Investor Sentiment

The investor profile for Pool Corporation (POOL) is overwhelmingly institutional, with nearly all shares held by professional money managers, and the current sentiment is a cautious but committed 'Hold' from Wall Street analysts, despite significant recent buying from some major funds. Institutional investors own approximately 98.99% of the stock, which tells you this is a stock moved by large-scale capital, not retail day traders.

This high concentration means the stock's price movements are less about market noise and more about the strategic decisions of a few giants. Honestly, when institutional ownership is that high, you have to watch the big funds' moves closely. For example, in the first half of 2025, Berkshire Hathaway significantly increased its stake, signaling a long-term conviction in the business model's resilience.

Still, not all big money is aligned. While firms like MFS and JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their positions in the second quarter of 2025, King Luther Capital Management cut its stake by a substantial 85.3%, selling 23,658 shares. This divergence shows a debate: is the long-term, recession-resistant pool maintenance business worth the current premium, or is the near-term housing and construction slowdown too big a headwind?

• Institutional ownership: ~98.99% of shares.
• TimesSquare Capital Management: Increased stake by 5.2% in Q2 2025.
• King Luther Capital Management: Cut stake by 85.3% in Q2 2025.

Recent Market Reactions to Ownership Shifts

The stock market's reaction to Pool Corporation's (POOL) performance and investor activity in 2025 has been mixed, reflecting the macroeconomic turbulence. When the company reported Q1 2025 results in April, missing on both revenue and adjusted earnings per share (EPS), the stock dipped 6.7%. That's a clear action-reaction, showing investors penalize even slight misses when the overall market is cautious.

More recently, following the Q3 2025 earnings announcement on October 23, the stock declined 1.14%, despite diluted EPS of $3.40 slightly exceeding analyst expectations of $3.38. Here's the quick math: a slight beat on earnings but a flat sales outlook for the full year 2025 spooked the market. Investors are prioritizing top-line growth, and the flat net sales projection for the full year 2025 outweighed the earnings beat.

However, the consistent dividend policy acts as a floor for income-focused investors. The Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.25 per share in October 2025, translating to an annual dividend of $5.00, which helps maintain a positive perception of financial stability and commitment to shareholder returns. This consistency is defintely a draw for long-term holders.

Analyst Perspectives on Key Investors' Impact

The consensus view from Wall Street analysts is a 'Hold,' with seven out of eleven analysts issuing that rating as of late 2025. This moderate stance is a direct result of the conflicting signals from the company's fundamentals and the macroeconomic environment. The average 12-month price target is $337.86, but the range is wide, with some targets as high as $360.00.

Analysts are generally bullish on the long-term structural tailwinds, especially the sustained migration to Sun Belt regions, which drives both new pool installations and recurring maintenance. This is the core thesis that justifies the high institutional ownership. But, the near-term valuation is a sticking point. Pool Corporation (POOL) is trading at roughly 28.5 times earnings, which is a significant premium compared to the global retail distributors average of 18.8.

The key investor impact is twofold: the large, long-term holders like Berkshire Hathaway reinforce the belief in the company's strategic vision-you can read more about that in the Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Pool Corporation (POOL).-while the institutional selling or downgrades often focus on the valuation gap. For the 2025 fiscal year, management confirmed an updated diluted EPS guidance range of $10.81 to $11.31 per share, which is stable but not a strong growth catalyst, keeping the overall analyst consensus muted.

The table below summarizes the core 2025 financial data that is driving the current analyst caution:

What this estimate hides is the resilience of the recurring maintenance business, which analysts believe will ultimately support the stock once high interest rates ease and new construction recovers.

Finance: Track the institutional ownership changes in the next 13F filings to see if the big funds are still accumulating shares.