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POOL vs WSO
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Pool Corporation (POOL) vs. Watsco, Inc. (WSO) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Pool Corporation (POOL) delivered 6% net sales growth in Q1 2026, driven by maintenance products, reaffirming full-year EPS (earnings per share) guidance of $10.87–$11.17.
- Watsco, Inc. (WSO) boasts stronger year-to-date (YTD) performance at +32.87%, outpacing POOL's +2.27%, amid robust market positioning.
- POOL trades at a lower P/E (price-to-earnings) ratio of 21.37 versus WSO's 35.97, suggesting relative value in the industrial distribution space.
- Both stocks operate in Industrials, but WSO benefits from HVAC demand stability while POOL faces pool construction headwinds offset by maintenance resilience.
- WSO recently increased its quarterly dividend to $3.30, yielding 3.00%, appealing to income-focused investors.
- Tickeron's AI leans toward WSO for superior momentum and scale in recent market activity.
Introduction
Pool Corporation (POOL) and Watsco, Inc. (WSO) are leading distributors in the Industrials sector, specializing in niche equipment: swimming pool supplies for POOL and HVAC/R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration) products for WSO. This comparison suits traders eyeing cyclical industrials and investors assessing relative performance in distribution amid varying construction and maintenance demands. With recent earnings highlighting resilience and momentum differences, the analysis aids decisions on valuation, growth potential, and sector exposure in today's market environment.
POOL Overview and Recent Performance
Pool Corporation (POOL), the world's largest wholesale distributor of pool equipment, maintenance products, and recreational accessories, operates over 400 sales centers across North America, Europe, and Australia. In recent market activity, POOL shares have shown modest YTD gains of 2.27%, trading around $232.55 with a market cap of $8.5 billion. Q1 2026 results featured 6% net sales growth to $1.14 billion, surpassing estimates, fueled by strong maintenance demand and digital sales via POOL360, though new pool construction remains soft. This prompted reaffirmed full-year guidance, boosting sentiment in recent weeks despite a 12-month total return lag versus broader indices. Key influences include stable pricing and operational efficiencies, with a P/E of 21.37 and beta of 1.26 signaling moderate volatility.
WSO Overview and Recent Performance
Watsco, Inc. (WSO) distributes HVAC/R equipment and supplies through over 690 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, serving contractors and builders. Shares have surged 32.87% YTD to around $440.64, with a $17.9 billion market cap, reflecting strong momentum. Recent developments include a 10% annual dividend hike to $3.30 quarterly, yielding 3.00%, and anticipation for Q1 2026 earnings on April 28. Prior Q4 results showed sales pressure but share gains in a soft market, supported by e-commerce growth (about one-third of revenue). Sentiment benefits from lower beta (1.05) and P/E of 35.97, though analysts note valuation premiums amid steady HVAC replacement demand in recent weeks.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Both POOL and WSO thrive as asset-light distributors in Industrials, leveraging scale for margins, but diverge in end-markets: POOL's pool sector faces residential construction slowdowns, cushioned by recurring maintenance (60%+ of sales), while WSO's HVAC benefits from replacement cycles and energy efficiency upgrades. Growth drivers contrast with WSO's superior YTD momentum and dividend appeal versus POOL's value at lower P/E. Risks include economic sensitivity and weather, with WSO's larger cap ($17.9B vs. $8.5B) offering stability but premium pricing. Recent sentiment favors WSO's 30-day gains around 12%, while POOL rebounds post-earnings on guidance confidence.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron's AI currently favors WSO due to consistent YTD outperformance, larger scale, dividend growth, and HVAC sector stability amid recent market positioning. While POOL offers attractive valuation and earnings beats, WSO's momentum and lower beta suggest higher probability of near-term relative strength, pending Q1 results.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full Disclaimers and Limitations.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is POOL is a Hold and WSO is a Hold.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
POOL’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileWSO’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- POOL’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- WSO’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
POOL’s TA Score shows that 6 TA indicator(s) are bullish while WSO’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- POOL’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 2 bearish.
- WSO’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
Price Growth
POOL (@Electronics Distributors) experienced а +2.34% price change this week, while WSO (@Electronics Distributors) price change was +2.32% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electronics Distributors industry was +3.22%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +8.62%, and the average quarterly price growth was +9.99%.
Reported Earning Dates
POOL is expected to report earnings on Jul 16, 2026.
WSO is expected to report earnings on Aug 04, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electronics Distributors (+3.22% weekly)Electronics distributors are companies that are involved in distribution of one or more of the following: electronic components, computer products/ peripherals and software products & services. Several electronics distributors are also becoming the point of contact for technical/pre- & post-sale support in many cases, in an attempt to bolster their position in the market. Tariffs and/or cross-border trade barriers are some of the potential threats to the electronics supply chain, but that could also potentially lead to re-directing to markets where tariffs/restrictions are lower depending on demand. The industry is also vulnerable in the event of economic slowdowns. Arrow Electronics, Inc., SYNNEX Corporation and Versum Materials, Inc. are some of the major electronics distributors in the U.S.
| POOL | WSO | POOL / WSO | |
| Capitalization | 7.25B | 16.2B | 45% |
| EBITDA | 638M | 734M | 87% |
| Gain YTD | -13.898 | 15.903 | -87% |
| P/E Ratio | 18.29 | 32.90 | 56% |
| Revenue | 5.36B | 7.24B | 74% |
| Total Cash | 64.5M | 593M | 11% |
| Total Debt | 1.59B | 486M | 327% |
POOL | WSO | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 38 | 27 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 14 Undervalued | 18 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 100 | 61 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 29 | 52 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 60 | 55 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 82 | 51 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 85 | 90 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
POOL's Valuation (14) in the Wholesale Distributors industry is in the same range as WSO (18) in the Building Products industry. This means that POOL’s stock grew similarly to WSO’s over the last 12 months.
WSO's Profit vs Risk Rating (61) in the Building Products industry is somewhat better than the same rating for POOL (100) in the Wholesale Distributors industry. This means that WSO’s stock grew somewhat faster than POOL’s over the last 12 months.
POOL's SMR Rating (29) in the Wholesale Distributors industry is in the same range as WSO (52) in the Building Products industry. This means that POOL’s stock grew similarly to WSO’s over the last 12 months.
WSO's Price Growth Rating (55) in the Building Products industry is in the same range as POOL (60) in the Wholesale Distributors industry. This means that WSO’s stock grew similarly to POOL’s over the last 12 months.
WSO's P/E Growth Rating (51) in the Building Products industry is in the same range as POOL (82) in the Wholesale Distributors industry. This means that WSO’s stock grew similarly to POOL’s over the last 12 months.
| POOL | WSO | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 79% | 1 day ago 87% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 69% | 1 day ago 71% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 55% | 1 day ago 70% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 65% | 1 day ago 73% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 59% | 1 day ago 65% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 54% | 1 day ago 61% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 59% | 3 days ago 70% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | N/A | 22 days ago 66% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 70% | 1 day ago 66% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 57% | 1 day ago 55% |
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POOL and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, POOL has been loosely correlated with SITE. These tickers have moved in lockstep 54% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if POOL jumps, then SITE could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To POOL | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POOL | 100% | -1.89% | ||
| SITE - POOL | 54% Loosely correlated | -1.95% | ||
| WSO - POOL | 47% Loosely correlated | -1.22% | ||
| BXC - POOL | 46% Loosely correlated | -1.32% | ||
| FERG - POOL | 45% Loosely correlated | -2.21% | ||
| QXO - POOL | 40% Loosely correlated | -2.65% | ||
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WSO and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, WSO has been loosely correlated with AIT. These tickers have moved in lockstep 57% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if WSO jumps, then AIT could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To WSO | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSO | 100% | -1.22% | ||
| AIT - WSO | 57% Loosely correlated | +1.70% | ||
| FERG - WSO | 54% Loosely correlated | -2.21% | ||
| POOL - WSO | 46% Loosely correlated | -1.89% | ||
| MSM - WSO | 46% Loosely correlated | -1.79% | ||
| BXC - WSO | 46% Loosely correlated | -1.32% | ||
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