GFL vs. POOL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at GFL and POOL, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | GFL | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | GFL Environmental Inc. | Pool Corporation |
| Country | Canada | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Consumer Discretionary |
| GICS Industry | Commercial Services & Supplies | Distributors |
| Market Capitalization | 18.54 billion USD | 12.00 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NasdaqGS |
| Listing Date | March 3, 2020 | October 13, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of GFL and POOL by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | GFL | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 2.45% | -1.03% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 4.24% | 5.92% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 7.59% | -5.70% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 22.88% | -7.66% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 1.12% | 4.31% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 10.11% | -5.72% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.29M | 0.53M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.36M | 0.60M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 21.50% | 30.83% |
| Beta | 0.65 | 1.12 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
GFL
48.97%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.93%
- Q3
- 18.03%
- Median
- 9.43%
- Q1
- 6.44%
- Min
- -9.69%
GFL’s Return on Equity of 48.97% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
POOL
31.34%
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 18.85%
- Q3
- 17.85%
- Median
- 13.11%
- Q1
- 11.23%
- Min
- 11.19%
POOL’s Return on Equity of 31.34% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Distributors industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
GFL
49.85%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 17.53%
- Q3
- 9.01%
- Median
- 5.20%
- Q1
- 2.75%
- Min
- -2.31%
GFL’s Net Profit Margin of 49.85% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.
POOL
7.79%
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 5.04%
- Q3
- 4.92%
- Median
- 4.56%
- Q1
- 4.55%
- Min
- 4.54%
POOL’s Net Profit Margin of 7.79% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Distributors industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
GFL
5.83%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 23.43%
- Q3
- 12.19%
- Median
- 8.10%
- Q1
- 3.18%
- Min
- -6.03%
GFL’s Operating Profit Margin of 5.83% is around the midpoint for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
POOL
11.13%
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 11.14%
- Q3
- 7.80%
- Median
- 5.53%
- Q1
- 3.65%
- Min
- 3.17%
An Operating Profit Margin of 11.13% places POOL in the upper quartile for the Distributors industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | GFL | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 48.97% | 31.34% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 18.18% | 11.64% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 49.85% | 7.79% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 5.83% | 11.13% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 20.03% | 29.46% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
GFL
0.67
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 2.94
- Q3
- 1.89
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.53
GFL’s Current Ratio of 0.67 falls into the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
POOL
2.52
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 1.81
- Q3
- 1.72
- Median
- 1.48
- Q1
- 1.24
- Min
- 1.15
POOL’s Current Ratio of 2.52 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Distributors industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
GFL
0.94
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.08
- Median
- 0.73
- Q1
- 0.36
- Min
- 0.00
GFL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.94 is typical for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
POOL
0.95
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 1.09
- Q3
- 0.98
- Median
- 0.75
- Q1
- 0.52
- Min
- 0.46
POOL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.95 is typical for the Distributors industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
GFL
-0.09
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 24.70
- Q3
- 12.37
- Median
- 7.16
- Q1
- 2.69
- Min
- -10.97
GFL has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -0.09. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
POOL
12.28
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 13.15
- Q3
- 10.84
- Median
- 5.59
- Q1
- 4.01
- Min
- 3.80
POOL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 12.28 is in the upper quartile for the Distributors industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | GFL | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.67 | 2.52 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.55 | 0.82 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.94 | 0.95 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -0.09 | 12.28 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
GFL
0.12%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.44%
- Q3
- 2.30%
- Median
- 1.37%
- Q1
- 0.63%
- Min
- 0.00%
GFL’s Dividend Yield of 0.12% is in the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
POOL
1.52%
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 44.83%
- Q3
- 35.02%
- Median
- 4.81%
- Q1
- 3.26%
- Min
- 1.54%
POOL’s Dividend Yield of 1.52% is below the typical range for the Distributors industry. This indicates that shareholder returns are likely driven more by potential capital appreciation than by dividend income.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
GFL
0.61%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 137.88%
- Q3
- 72.93%
- Median
- 40.45%
- Q1
- 23.31%
- Min
- 0.00%
GFL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 0.61% is in the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.
POOL
44.67%
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 1,122.47%
- Q3
- 858.23%
- Median
- 55.08%
- Q1
- 44.32%
- Min
- 34.92%
POOL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 44.67% is within the typical range for the Distributors industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | GFL | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.12% | 1.52% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.61% | 44.67% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
GFL
7.01
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 57.20
- Q3
- 37.10
- Median
- 22.38
- Q1
- 16.35
- Min
- 0.00
In the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, GFL’s P/E Ratio of 7.01 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
POOL
29.38
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 28.99
- Q3
- 25.04
- Median
- 23.42
- Q1
- 13.71
- Min
- 6.24
At 29.38, POOL’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Distributors industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
GFL
3.50
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.64
- Q3
- 2.28
- Median
- 0.97
- Q1
- 0.64
- Min
- 0.00
GFL’s P/S Ratio of 3.50 is in the upper echelon for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
POOL
2.29
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 1.14
- Q3
- 1.14
- Median
- 0.96
- Q1
- 0.61
- Min
- 0.28
With a P/S Ratio of 2.29, POOL trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Distributors industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
GFL
3.27
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 6.71
- Q3
- 4.38
- Median
- 2.39
- Q1
- 1.57
- Min
- 0.43
GFL’s P/B Ratio of 3.27 is within the conventional range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
POOL
8.44
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 3.72
- Q3
- 3.57
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 2.41
- Min
- 1.47
At 8.44, POOL’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Distributors industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | GFL | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 7.01 | 29.38 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 3.50 | 2.29 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 3.27 | 8.44 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 76.39 | 24.87 |