LECO vs. POOL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at LECO and POOL, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | LECO | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. | Pool Corporation |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Consumer Discretionary |
| GICS Industry | Machinery | Distributors |
| Market Capitalization | 13.55 billion USD | 12.34 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NasdaqGS |
| Listing Date | April 7, 1994 | October 13, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of LECO 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 | LECO | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 1.72% | 7.16% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 25.94% | 3.67% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 27.02% | -2.15% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 30.69% | -3.88% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 0.80% | 7.33% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 30.93% | -2.99% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.43M | 0.36M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.38M | 0.59M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 28.28% | 31.59% |
| Beta | 1.24 | 1.12 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
LECO
37.34%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 34.68%
- Q3
- 19.06%
- Median
- 13.13%
- Q1
- 8.53%
- Min
- -4.87%
LECO’s Return on Equity of 37.34% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Machinery 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)
LECO
12.27%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 19.74%
- Q3
- 11.24%
- Median
- 8.13%
- Q1
- 5.38%
- Min
- -1.11%
A Net Profit Margin of 12.27% places LECO in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
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)
LECO
16.67%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 26.63%
- Q3
- 16.15%
- Median
- 11.27%
- Q1
- 7.72%
- Min
- -4.91%
An Operating Profit Margin of 16.67% places LECO in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
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 | LECO | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 37.34% | 31.34% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 13.84% | 11.64% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.27% | 7.79% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 16.67% | 11.13% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 36.51% | 29.46% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
LECO
1.68
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 3.83
- Q3
- 2.32
- Median
- 1.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- 0.78
LECO’s Current Ratio of 1.68 aligns with the median group of the Machinery industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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)
LECO
0.91
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 1.49
- Q3
- 0.75
- Median
- 0.44
- Q1
- 0.26
- Min
- 0.00
LECO’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Machinery industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.91. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
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)
LECO
20.84
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 67.55
- Q3
- 33.79
- Median
- 13.87
- Q1
- 7.97
- Min
- -1.43
LECO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 20.84 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Machinery industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
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 | LECO | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.68 | 2.52 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.08 | 0.82 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.91 | 0.95 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 20.84 | 12.28 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
LECO
1.24%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 5.32%
- Q3
- 2.84%
- Median
- 1.87%
- Q1
- 1.09%
- Min
- 0.00%
LECO’s Dividend Yield of 1.24% is consistent with its peers in the Machinery industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
POOL
1.56%
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 44.83%
- Q3
- 35.02%
- Median
- 4.81%
- Q1
- 3.26%
- Min
- 1.54%
POOL’s Dividend Yield of 1.56% is in the lower quartile for the Distributors industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
LECO
32.88%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 202.17%
- Q3
- 98.65%
- Median
- 55.54%
- Q1
- 29.03%
- Min
- 0.00%
LECO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 32.88% is within the typical range for the Machinery industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
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 | LECO | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.24% | 1.56% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 32.88% | 44.67% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
LECO
26.58
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 53.66
- Q3
- 31.29
- Median
- 22.00
- Q1
- 16.18
- Min
- 7.00
LECO’s P/E Ratio of 26.58 is within the middle range for the Machinery industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
POOL
28.65
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 28.99
- Q3
- 25.04
- Median
- 23.42
- Q1
- 13.71
- Min
- 6.24
A P/E Ratio of 28.65 places POOL in the upper quartile for the Distributors industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
LECO
3.26
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 5.04
- Q3
- 2.72
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.24
LECO’s P/S Ratio of 3.26 is in the upper echelon for the Machinery 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
2.23
Distributors Industry
- Max
- 1.14
- Q3
- 1.14
- Median
- 0.96
- Q1
- 0.61
- Min
- 0.28
With a P/S Ratio of 2.23, 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)
LECO
8.39
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 7.23
- Q3
- 3.90
- Median
- 2.52
- Q1
- 1.47
- Min
- 0.49
At 8.39, LECO’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Machinery 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.
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 | LECO | POOL |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 26.58 | 28.65 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 3.26 | 2.23 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 8.39 | 8.44 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 26.47 | 24.26 |