Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL – Get Rating) insider Brad Gazaway sold 3,335 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.82, for a total transaction of $49,424.70. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 130,447 shares in the company, valued at $1,933,224.54. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.
Leslie’s Stock Down 2.2 %
LESL traded down $0.32 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $14.25. 40,867,910 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,112,976. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.61 billion, a PE ratio of 18.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.79. The company’s 50-day moving average is $14.93 and its 200 day moving average is $17.24. Leslie’s, Inc. has a 52 week low of $13.01 and a 52 week high of $24.40.
Leslie’s (NASDAQ:LESL – Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 5th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.73 by ($0.06). Leslie’s had a negative return on equity of 49.59% and a net margin of 9.74%. The business had revenue of $673.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $688.64 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.61 EPS. Leslie’s’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Leslie’s, Inc. will post 0.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leslie’s
Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Leslie’s by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 16,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $369,000 after purchasing an additional 674 shares during the period. UBS Group AG lifted its stake in shares of Leslie’s by 20.8% in the 2nd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 4,763 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 820 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its stake in Leslie’s by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 24,103 shares of the company’s stock worth $467,000 after acquiring an additional 971 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Leslie’s by 9.8% during the 1st quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 11,432 shares of the company’s stock worth $221,000 after acquiring an additional 1,016 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers raised its stake in Leslie’s by 6.8% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 16,445 shares of the company’s stock worth $318,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares during the period.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Leslie’s from $22.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Monday, August 8th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Leslie’s from $20.00 to $18.00 in a research report on Monday, August 8th. Guggenheim reduced their target price on shares of Leslie’s from $25.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 23rd. Telsey Advisory Group downgraded shares of Leslie’s from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $28.00 to $16.00 in a research report on Monday, August 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Leslie’s from $24.00 to $15.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Leslie’s presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.22.
Leslie’s Company Profile
Leslie’s, Inc operates as a direct-to-consumer pool and spa care brand in the United States. The company markets and sells pool and spa supplies and related products and services. It offers pool chemicals consisting of chlorine, sanitizers, water balancers, specialty chemicals, and algae control; pool covers, including winter, solar and safety covers, leaf nets, cover reels, and cover alternatives; pool equipment, which comprise pool cleaners, pool pumps, pool filters, pool heating, and lighting; and pools, such as above ground pools, soft side pools, above ground pools liners and equipment, ladders and rails, and diving boards.