Natixis Advisors L.P. Buys 1,288,013 Shares of Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL)

Natixis Advisors L.P. boosted its stake in Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL) by 136.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,230,959 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,288,013 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P.’s holdings in Leslie’s were worth $15,415,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in LESL. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Leslie’s by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 63,449 shares of the company’s stock valued at $438,000 after purchasing an additional 3,947 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in Leslie’s in the fourth quarter valued at $101,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its position in Leslie’s by 57.1% during the fourth quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 238,407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,647,000 after acquiring an additional 86,634 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its holdings in Leslie’s by 59.4% during the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 40,800 shares of the company’s stock worth $282,000 after acquiring an additional 15,200 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Alliance raised its position in shares of Leslie’s by 17.4% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Alliance now owns 20,393 shares of the company’s stock worth $141,000 after acquiring an additional 3,023 shares in the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. William Blair reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Leslie’s in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Mizuho assumed coverage on shares of Leslie’s in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $7.00 price objective on the stock. Loop Capital lifted their price target on shares of Leslie’s from $6.00 to $8.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 5th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $6.00 price objective on shares of Leslie’s in a report on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Leslie’s from $5.40 to $6.30 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $6.37.

Leslie’s Stock Up 1.7 %

Leslie’s stock opened at $4.79 on Tuesday. Leslie’s, Inc. has a 52 week low of $3.79 and a 52 week high of $11.68. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $5.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $6.14. The stock has a market cap of $883.80 million, a P/E ratio of 47.90, a P/E/G ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.06.

Leslie’s Company Profile

Leslie's, Inc operates as a direct-to-consumer pool and spa care brand in the United States. The company markets and sells pool and spa supplies and related products and services. It also offers various pool and spa maintenance items, such as chemicals, equipment and parts, cleaning and maintenance equipment, safety, recreational, and fitness related products.