POOL vs LESL Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Compare Pool Corporation's wholesale distribution scale against Leslie's smaller, direct-to-consumer retail pool-care model.
Use this Pool Corporation vs Leslie's Inc. comparison to evaluate the key differences across valuation, growth, profitability, and risk before making an investment decision.
POOL holds the edge across 2 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. POOL has delivered stronger 3-month price return (+1.87% vs -95.83% for LESL). On fundamentals, POOL is growing revenue faster (2.20%), while LESL maintains the higher operating margin (18.10%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split.
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
| Metric | POOL | LESL |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 38.3 | 24.7 |
| AI ranki | #1388 | #5627 |
| Latest closei | $207.25 | $0.05 |
| 1M returni | +28.39% | -62.33% |
| 3M returni | +1.87% | -95.83% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | POOL | LESL |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $8.03K (-19.7%) started 2025-11-04 | $212.36 (-97.9%) started 2026-07-17 |
| 5Y ago | $4.34K (-56.6%) started 2021-11-04 | $212.36 (-97.9%) started 2026-07-17 |
| 10Y ago | $27.4K (+174.0%) started 2016-11-04 | $212.36 (-97.9%) started 2026-07-17 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | POOL | LESL |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $6.83B | $955.28K |
| Trailing P/Ei | 17.27 | N/A |
| Forward P/Ei | 15.91 | N/A |
| Price/Salesi | 2.12 | 0.00 |
| EV/Revenuei | 1.57 | 0.83 |
| Analyst targeti | $219.50 | N/A |
| Target upsidei | +16.71% | N/A |
| Metric | POOL | LESL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 2.20% | -8.40% |
| Earnings growthi | 0.00% | 114.10% |
| EPS growthi | 0.00% | +114.10% |
| FCF margini | +3.95% | +3.06% |
| Operating margini | 15.14% | 18.10% |
| Profit margini | 7.41% | -21.24% |
| ROIC proxyi | 31.25% | N/A |
| Return on equityi | 31.25% | N/A |
| Dividend yieldi | 2.76% | 0.00% |
| Payout ratioi | 46.79% | 0.00% |
| Dividend growth streaki | No increase yet | N/A |
| Betai | 1.05 | 1.75 |
| Debt/equityi | 134.54 | N/A |
| Current ratioi | 2.67 | 1.35 |
| Quick ratioi | 0.86 | 0.31 |
Over the past year, POOL and LESL have moved weakly in the same direction (correlation of 0.31), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | POOL | LESL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -19.67% | -97.88% |
| CAGRi | -19.71% | -100.00% | |
| Volatilityi | 38.47% | 313.30% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.50 | -2.53 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.71 | -3.65 | |
| Max drawdowni | 43.22% | 99.23% | |
| Current drawdowni | 23.66% | 97.88% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 21.65% | 76.98% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 24.82% | 80.25% | |
| Max daily dropi | 14.48% | 44.81% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 19.57% | 80.82% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | -58.51% | -97.88% |
| CAGRi | -16.13% | -100.00% | |
| Volatilityi | 35.44% | 313.30% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.45 | -2.53 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.63 | -3.65 | |
| Max drawdowni | 72.16% | 99.23% | |
| Current drawdowni | 62.56% | 97.88% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 40.95% | 76.98% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 43.24% | 80.25% | |
| Max daily dropi | 14.48% | 44.81% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 20.22% | 80.82% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +147.72% | -97.88% |
| CAGRi | +9.50% | -100.00% | |
| Volatilityi | 32.54% | 313.30% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.31 | -2.53 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.43 | -3.65 | |
| Max drawdowni | 72.16% | 99.23% | |
| Current drawdowni | 62.56% | 97.88% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 22.92% | 76.98% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 30.99% | 80.25% | |
| Max daily dropi | 16.79% | 44.81% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 20.22% | 80.82% |
| Category | POOL | LESL |
|---|---|---|
| Company | POOL | LESL |
| Sector | Industrials | N/A |
| Industry | Industrial Distribution | Specialty Retail |
| Core business | Pool Corporation distributes swimming pool supplies, equipment, related leisure, irrigation, and landscape maintenance products in the United States and internationally. | Leslie's, Inc. operates as a direct-to-consumer pool and spa care brand in the United States. |
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