showing the working

← POOL

The business behind the dividend

MeasurePOOLMedianFormula
Return on equity34.3%10.6%Net income ÷ shareholders’ equity
Return on capital employed24.3%10.0%Operating income ÷ (equity + total debt)
Owner earnings$392.75m$120.90mNet income + depreciation & amortisation − capital expenditure
Free cash flow$309.52m$155.08mOperating cash flow − capital expenditure
Operating margin11.0%14.3%Operating income ÷ revenue
Net margin7.7%10.1%Net income ÷ revenue
Debt to equity1.01x0.73xTotal debt ÷ shareholders’ equity
Interest cover12.17x4.22xOperating income ÷ interest expense
Current ratio2.24x1.55xCurrent assets ÷ current liabilities
Long-term debt to working capital1.09x1.88xLong-term debt ÷ (current assets − current liabilities)
Cash conversion0.90x1.66xOperating cash flow ÷ net income
Accruals1.1%-3.1%(Net income − operating cash flow) ÷ total assets

Ten years of it

The same measures, for every year the filings support. One year is a fact; a row is a business.

Measure2025202420232022202120202019201820172016Median
Return on equity34.3%34.1%39.9%60.6%60.7%57.4%63.8%104.9%85.9%72.6%60.6%
Return on capital employed24.3%27.8%31.6%39.1%36.9%44.0%37.0%35.3%38.3%39.8%36.9%
Operating margin11.0%11.6%13.5%16.6%15.7%11.8%10.7%10.5%10.2%10.0%11.0%
Net margin7.7%8.2%9.4%12.1%12.3%9.3%8.2%7.8%6.9%5.8%8.2%
Debt to equity1.01x0.75x0.80x1.12x1.10x0.65x1.25x2.98x2.33x2.13x1.10x
Current ratio2.24x2.05x2.36x2.99x2.38x2.32x2.49x2.99x2.43x2.35x2.36x
Cash conversion0.90x1.52x1.70x0.65x0.48x1.08x1.14x0.51x0.91x1.11x0.91x

How it compares in industrials

Among the 289 industrials companies here measured on free cash flow, POOL pays out less than 41 of them. The median for that group is 24.4%, against this company’s 59.7%.

Closest on free cash flow

Same sector and same denominator, so the figures are comparable. All 348 in industrials →