Pool Corporation Reports Third Quarter Results; Confirms Annual Earnings Guidance Range
Q3 2026 Highlights:
COVINGTON, La., Oct. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pool Corporation (Nasdaq: POOL) today reported results for the third quarter of 2026.
“Building on our performance through the first half of the year, we delivered solid results in the third quarter of 2026 as we moved through the end of the peak selling season. Our dedicated teams produced top-line growth by delivering to our customers when they needed it the most. At the same time, we remained committed to disciplined capital allocation, reducing inventory by 3% while growing sales. Through the first nine months of the year, we generated $419.8 million in operating cash flows, and in the third quarter alone we returned $158.7 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. As the industry leader, we are focused on supporting our partners to collectively grow the outdoor living industry, efficiently bringing new products to market and offering the best value proposition to our customers,” said John B. Watwood, president and CEO.
Third quarter ended September 30, 2026 compared to the third quarter ended September 30, 2025
Net sales increased 4% to $1.5 billion in the third quarter of 2026. The increase primarily reflected 3% growth from price, coupled with stronger maintenance activity and building materials growth.
Gross profit increased 2% to $436.3 million. Gross margin decreased 60 basis points to 29.0% from 29.6% in the same period of 2025. The decrease was primarily driven by higher inbound freight costs and customer mix, as well as the comparison against the prior year benefit from mid-season price increases.
Selling and administrative expenses (operating expenses) increased 5% to $264.1 million from $251.2 million in the same period in 2025, reflecting higher performance-based compensation resulting from increased sales, increases in employee insurance and outside fees related to our strategic initiatives.
Operating income decreased 3% to $172.2 million compared to $178.0 million in the same period last year.
Net income decreased 3% to $123.0 million from $127.0 million in the third quarter of 2025.
Earnings per diluted share was $3.40, consistent with the third quarter of 2025. Adjusting for the impact from Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, earnings per diluted share was $3.40 in the third quarter of 2026 compared to $3.39 in the same period of 2025.
Nine months ended September 30, 2026 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2025
Net sales increased 4% to $4.5 billion from $4.3 billion in the nine months ended September 30, 2025. Gross margin declined 30 basis points to 29.3% from 29.6% in the same period last year.
Operating expenses increased 5% to $784.5 million compared to $748.5 million for the same period in 2025. Operating expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2026 included $8.3 million of CEO transition costs, comprised of $6.3 million of non-cash share-based compensation expense for awards previously granted but not fully amortized and $2.0 million of cash transition costs. Adjusting for the impact of CEO transition costs, operating expenses increased 4%.
Operating income was $522.5 million compared to $528.2 million in the same period last year. Adjusted operating income was $530.7 million, in line with the same period of 2025.
Net income decreased 3% to $364.4 million compared to $374.8 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2025. We recorded a $0.7 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, tax benefit from ASU 2016-09 in 2026 compared to a $4.2 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, tax benefit in the same period of 2025. Adjusted net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2026 was $371.2 million compared to $370.6 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2025.
Earnings per diluted share increased 1% to $10.02 compared to $9.97 in the same period of 2025. Adjusted earnings per diluted share increased 4% to $10.21 from $9.86 in the first nine months of 2025.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
Inventory decreased 3% at September 30, 2026 compared to September 30, 2025, while third quarter net sales increased 4% year over year. Total debt outstanding increased $104.9 million to $1.2 billion at September 30, 2026.
Net cash provided by operations increased 47% to $419.8 million in the first nine months of 2026 compared to $285.7 million in the first nine months of 2025. Year to date, we have returned $338.1 million to our shareholders through $140.1 million in dividends and $198.0 million in share repurchases. These returns were primarily funded by operating cash flows, after investing $49.8 million in the business and making $33.1 million in net debt repayments. We have also increased our quarterly dividend by 4% to $1.30 per share from $1.25 per share in the third quarter of 2025.
Outlook
“Based on our performance to date and outlook for the remainder of the year, we are confirming our full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance range of $10.87 to $11.17. As we look forward to closing out 2026, I am proud of the POOLCORP team, whose dedication and execution are the true source of our success. Our unmatched network, solid operational performance and strong supplier relationships position us well to continue delivering exceptional value to our customers and the outdoor living industry,” said Watwood.
The table below further illustrates our current guidance:
(1) Includes $0.02 of year-to-date ASU 2016-09 tax benefits.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release contains certain non-GAAP measures. See the addendum to this release for definitions of our non-GAAP measures and reconciliations of our non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures.
About Pool Corporation
POOLCORP is the world’s largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool and related backyard products. As of September 30, 2026, POOLCORP operated 454 sales centers in North America, Europe and Australia, through which it distributes more than 200,000 products to roughly 125,000 wholesale customers. For more information, please visit www.poolcorp.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes “forward-looking” statements that involve risks and uncertainties that are generally identifiable through the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “may,” “outlook,” and other words and similar expressions and include projections of earnings. The forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise such statements to reflect new circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur. Actual results may differ materially due to a variety of factors, including the sensitivity of our business to weather conditions; changes in economic conditions, consumer discretionary spending, the housing market, inflation or interest rates; our ability to maintain favorable relationships with suppliers and manufacturers; competition from other leisure product alternatives or mass merchants; our ability to continue to execute our growth strategies; changes in the regulatory environment; new or additional taxes, duties or tariffs; excess tax benefits or deficiencies recognized under ASU 2016-09 and other risks detailed in POOLCORP’s 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other reports and filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as updated by POOLCORP’s subsequent filings with the SEC.
Kristin S. Byars
Director, Investor Relations and Finance
985.801.5153
kristin.byars@poolcorp.com
ADDENDUM
Base Business
When calculating our base business results, we exclude for a period of 15 months sales centers that are acquired, opened in new markets or closed. We also exclude consolidated sales centers when we do not expect to maintain the majority of the existing business and existing sales centers that are consolidated with acquired sales centers.
We generally allocate corporate overhead expenses to excluded sales centers on the basis of their net sales as a percentage of total net sales. After 15 months, we include acquired, consolidated and new market sales centers in the base business calculation including the comparative prior year period.
We have not provided separate base business income statement data within this press release as our base business results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2026 closely approximated our consolidated results. Excluded sales centers contributed less than 1% to the change in our reported net sales.
The table below summarizes the changes in our sales centers during the first nine months of 2026.
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The non-GAAP measures described below should be considered in the context of all of our other disclosures in this press release.
Adjusted EBITDA
We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income or net loss plus interest and other non-operating expenses, provision for income taxes, depreciation, amortization, share-based compensation, goodwill and other impairments, equity in earnings or loss of unconsolidated investments, and other items that management believes are not indicative of ongoing operating performance. Other companies may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently than we do, which may limit its usefulness as a comparative measure.
Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of performance as determined by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). We believe Adjusted EBITDA should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, operating income or loss, net income or loss, net cash flows provided by or used in operating, investing and financing activities or other income statement or cash flow statement line items reported in accordance with GAAP.
From time to time, we use Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental disclosure because management uses it to monitor our performance, and we believe that it is widely used by our investors, industry analysts and others as a useful supplemental performance measure. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA, when viewed with our GAAP results and the accompanying reconciliations, provides an additional measure that enables management and investors to monitor factors and trends affecting our ability to service debt, pay taxes and fund capital expenditures.
The table below presents a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA.
Adjusted Income Statement Information
We have included adjusted operating expenses, adjusted operating income, adjusted net income and adjusted diluted EPS, which are non-GAAP financial measures, in this press release as supplemental disclosures because we believe these measures are useful to management, investors and others in assessing our period-over-period operating performance. We believe these measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, operating expenses, operating income, net income and diluted EPS presented in accordance with GAAP and in the context of our other disclosures in this press release. Other companies may calculate these non-GAAP financial measures differently than we do, which may limit their usefulness as comparative measures.
The table below presents a reconciliation of operating expenses to adjusted operating expenses.
The table below presents a reconciliation of operating income to adjusted operating income.
The table below presents a reconciliation of net income to adjusted net income.
The table below presents a reconciliation of diluted EPS to adjusted diluted EPS.