LIVE
POOL
Pool Corporation · Consumer Discretionary - Pool Products Distribution
$198.99
+11.45% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
LESL
Leslie's, Inc. · Consumer Discretionary - Pool Supplies Retail
$9.17
+250.00% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
POOL
2
LESL
2
Comparison scoreboard
MIXED SETUPAI Score
POOL ✓37.4
LESL 21.8
1Y Return
POOL -30.30%
LESL ✓-2.45%
Fwd P/E
POOL 16.20
LESL ✓-16.88
Target Up.
POOL ✓+31.24%
LESL -70.56%
Op. Margin
POOL 7.26%
LESL N/A
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
POOL vs LESL Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
POOL (Pool Corporation) distributes pool products wholesale to professional pool contractors, builders, and retailers — a dominant B2B distributor — while LESL (Leslie's) sells pool supplies directly to pool owners through retail stores and e-commerce. Pool Corp operates further up the supply chain serving professionals; Leslie's serves the homeowner direct.
POOL vs LESL is B2B wholesale pool products distribution (the dominant middleman serving professionals) versus direct-to-consumer pool supply retail (selling directly to homeowners) — both tied to the U.S. in-ground pool installed base but with very different business models and margin structures.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
POOL and LESL are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly. LESL leads on both 1-year return (-2.45%) and forward P/E (-16.88x vs 16.20x for POOL), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for POOL (+31.24%) than for LESL (-70.56%).
Normalized 1Y performance
POOL
LESL
Recent returns
POOL
LESL
Analyst price targets & sentiment
POOL · 12 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.4/5.0)
Price target range
analyst high$375.00
analyst mean$255.91
current price$198.99
+31.2% upside to analyst mean
LESL · 3 analysts
Price target range
analyst low$1.60
analyst high$3.50
analyst mean$2.70
current price$9.17
-70.6% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
POOL may suit investors who:
- →Want the dominant B2B wholesale pool distribution company with a durable market position serving pool professionals and the long-term installed pool base growth
- →Value Pool Corp's combination of recurring maintenance product demand and growth from new pool construction activity
- →Are willing to pay a premium valuation for a dominant industry-position company with strong competitive moats from scale and supplier relationships
LESL may suit investors who:
- →Want direct-to-consumer pool supply exposure through the largest retail chain serving pool owners with stores, e-commerce, and water testing services
- →Value Leslie's potential for margin improvement as the company optimizes its cost structure and grows its direct business
- →See Leslie's valuation discount to Pool Corp as a turnaround opportunity if the company addresses its debt burden and competitive positioning
Performance & AI score
| Metric | POOL | LESL |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 37.4 | 21.8 |
| AI rank | #1390 | #4567 |
| Latest close | $198.99 | $9.17 |
| 1M return | +11.45% | +250.00% |
| 6M return | -15.78% | +363.13% |
| 1Y return | -30.30% | -2.45% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
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 | $6.98K (-30.2%) started 2025-06-18 | $9.76K (-2.4%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $4.82K (-51.8%) started 2021-06-21 | $179.31 (-98.2%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $26.92K (+169.2%) started 2016-06-20 | $211.29 (-97.9%) started 2020-10-29 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | POOL | LESL |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $7.11B | $85.83M |
| Trailing P/E | 17.92 | N/A |
| Forward P/E | 16.20 | -16.88 |
| Price/Sales | 2.12 | 0.07 |
| EV/Revenue | 1.61 | 0.93 |
| Analyst target | $255.91 | $2.70 |
| Target upside | +31.24% | -70.56% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | POOL | LESL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 6.20% | 4.30% |
| Earnings growth | 2.10% | N/A |
| EPS growth | +2.10% | N/A |
| FCF margin | +4.18% | +2.31% |
| Operating margin | 7.26% | N/A |
| Profit margin | 7.58% | -22.64% |
| ROIC proxy | 34.24% | N/A |
| Return on equity | 34.24% | N/A |
| Dividend yield | 2.67% | 0.00% |
| Beta | 1.09 | 1.95 |
| Debt/equity | 140.42 | N/A |
| Current ratio | 1.87 | 1.45 |
| Quick ratio | 0.51 | 0.18 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
POOL max drawdown47.47%
LESL max drawdown92.84%
POOL max wkly drop19.57%
LESL max wkly drop45.34%
5Y risk snapshot
POOL max drawdown68.34%
LESL max drawdown99.83%
POOL max wkly drop20.22%
LESL max wkly drop45.34%
10Y risk snapshot
POOL max drawdown68.34%
LESL max drawdown99.85%
POOL max wkly drop20.22%
LESL max wkly drop45.34%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | POOL | LESL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -30.18% | -2.45% |
| CAGR | -30.21% | -2.45% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -1.02 | 0.71 | |
| Max drawdown | 47.47% | 92.84% | |
| Max daily drop | 14.48% | 36.02% | |
| Max wkly drop | 19.57% | 45.34% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -53.99% | -98.21% |
| CAGR | -14.40% | -55.26% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.42 | -0.30 | |
| Max drawdown | 68.34% | 99.83% | |
| Max daily drop | 14.48% | 36.02% | |
| Max wkly drop | 20.22% | 45.34% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +142.48% | -97.89% |
| CAGR | +9.27% | -49.57% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.30 | -0.24 | |
| Max drawdown | 68.34% | 99.85% | |
| Max daily drop | 16.79% | 36.02% | |
| Max wkly drop | 20.22% | 45.34% |
Business comparison
| Category | POOL | LESL |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Pool Corporation | Leslie's, Inc. |
| Sector | Industrials | Consumer Discretionary - Pool Supplies Retail |
| Industry | Industrial Distribution | N/A |
| Core business | Pool Corporation is the world's largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool and related outdoor living products — selling pool chemicals, equipment, accessories, and building materials to approximately 120,000 pool professionals (service companies, builders, retailers) through approximately 440 sales centers across North America, Europe, and Australia. | Leslie's is the largest direct-to-consumer pool supplies company in the U.S., operating approximately 1,000 branded retail locations and e-commerce, selling pool chemicals, equipment, parts, and accessories directly to pool owners — along with water testing and pool maintenance services. |
| Investor focus | Investors track Pool Corp's comparable sales growth (volume and pricing), gross margin maintenance, new pool construction activity versus maintenance/remodel demand, and the long-term installed pool base growth driving recurring maintenance chemical and equipment sales. | Investors track Leslie's comparable store sales, chemical volume and pricing, e-commerce penetration, operating margin, and the company's ability to grow its direct-to-consumer model while managing competition from Amazon, Pool Corp's retail-facing channels, and big-box retailers. |
POOL strengths
- →Dominant market position — Pool Corp has approximately 35% market share in wholesale pool products distribution with unmatched national coverage and supplier relationships
- →Recurring maintenance revenue — pool owners must buy chemicals and replace equipment regardless of economic conditions, providing resilient base demand beyond new pool construction cyclicality
- →Business model benefits from the installed base of approximately 5.7 million U.S. in-ground pools that grows every year with new pool construction
LESL strengths
- →Direct-to-consumer model with no middleman allows Leslie's to sell at competitive prices while capturing full retail margin on pool chemicals and supplies
- →Water testing services at store locations drive foot traffic and create personalized product recommendations — a service advantage over online-only competitors
- →Large installed store base across the U.S. provides geographic coverage for the existing 5.7 million U.S. pool installed base
Risks to watch — POOL
- →New pool construction is discretionary and economically sensitive — Pool Corp's growth is higher in construction upswings and lower when housing and consumer spending slow
- →Inflation in pool chemical costs (particularly chlorine, which saw dramatic price spikes) can affect volume if pool owners reduce chemical usage or switch to alternatives
- →Pool Corp's high P/E multiple versus the S&P 500 reflects premium quality but creates elevated valuation risk during earnings slowdowns
Risks to watch — LESL
- →Leslie's went through significant PE ownership under Leonard Green before its 2020 IPO, leaving the company with elevated debt and interest expense burden
- →Competition from Amazon, Walmart, and online pool supply retailers applies pricing pressure on commodity pool chemicals and equipment
- →Pool owner do-it-yourself (DIY) chemical purchases are price-sensitive — aggressive pricing from competitors can attract volume away from Leslie's
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