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Hayward Holdings
(NYSE:HAYW)
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Rating:63Neutral
Price Target:
$13.00
▼(-10.47% Downside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:10/03/26
The score is anchored by solid underlying profitability and cash generation, reinforced by a positive earnings outlook and balance-sheet/liquidity improvements highlighted on the latest call. These strengths are tempered by clearly bearish technical conditions (price below major moving averages with negative MACD) and some fundamental risk from historically volatile revenue and uneven leverage signals across periods.
Positive Factors
Growth and profitability
Recent sales growth, near-record margins, and rising earnings indicate continued demand and operating execution. Maintaining FY2026 guidance suggests management sees these gains as durable enough to support further revenue, profit, and cash-flow expansion.
Negative Factors
International weakness
Declining international sales show that geopolitical disruption and regional macroeconomic weakness are constraining Hayward’s geographic growth. Continued softness outside North America could dilute consolidated revenue growth and reduce the benefits of the company’s global distribution footprint.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Growth and profitability
Recent sales growth, near-record margins, and rising earnings indicate continued demand and operating execution. Maintaining FY2026 guidance suggests management sees these gains as durable enough to support further revenue, profit, and cash-flow expansion.
Read all positive factors
Hayward Holdings (HAYW) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$2.63B
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)3.10M
Price to Earnings (P/E)16.5
Beta (1Y)0.95
Revenue Growth7.78%
EPS Growth23.21%
CountryUS
Employees1,960
SectorIndustrials
Sector Strength72
IndustryElectrical Equipment & Parts
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.75
Shares Outstanding212,119,580
10 Day Avg. Volume4,952,876
30 Day Avg. Volume3,099,106
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.81
Price to Book (P/B)2.10
Price to Sales (P/S)2.98
P/FCF Ratio14.85
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.59
Enterprise Value/Revenue3.57
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit8.00
Enterprise Value/Ebitda13.64
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$18.50Price Target Upside27.41% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering7
EPS Forecast (FY)0.87
Revenue Forecast (FY)$1.18B
Hayward Holdings Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Hayward Holdings, Inc., established in 1925 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, specializes in the development, manufacturing, and global marketing of a diverse range of swimming pool equipment and integrated automation systems. Its ex...
How the Company Makes Money
Hayward makes money primarily by selling swimming pool equipment and related replacement parts through distribution and trade channels that serve both new pool construction and the ongoing maintenance (aftermarket) of the installed base of pools. ...
Hayward Holdings Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Jul 29, 2026
(Q2-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Nov 03, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
Overall the call conveyed a positive outlook: the company reported solid top-line growth (6% Q2, 9% H1), near-record margins despite inflationary pressures, improved leverage (net leverage 1.5x), meaningful liquidity and successful refinancing lowering annual interest expense by ~$6 million. Management maintained full-year guidance and highlighted progress on product innovation, AI customer-service gains and share repurchases. The principal negatives were regional weakness in Europe/Rest of World driven by geopolitical disruption, some margin pressure from elevated commodity and freight costs, a modest decline in operating cash flow vs. prior year, and the remaining complexity related to IEEPA refunds — but these issues appear manageable within the company's stated mitigation plans.Positive Updates
Revenue Growth — Q2 and First Half
Net sales increased 6% year-over-year to $318 million in Q2 and 9% through the first half of FY2026, driven by positive price realization and stable to modestly growing volume.
Negative Updates
Weakness in Europe and Rest of World
Europe and Rest of World sales declined 8% in Q2 to $41 million (Europe -4%, Rest of World -16%), with Middle East geopolitical disruption and other macro factors cited as primary drivers of the decline.
Read all updates
Q2-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Revenue Growth — Q2 and First Half
Net sales increased 6% year-over-year to $318 million in Q2 and 9% through the first half of FY2026, driven by positive price realization and stable to modestly growing volume.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Hayward reiterated full‑year 2026 guidance calling for net sales to increase approximately 5% and adjusted diluted EPS to rise about 9%–13% to a range of $0.84–$0.87, with free cash flow expected around $200 million (exceeding 100% of net income); the outlook assumes net interest expense of roughly $45 million, a normalized effective tax rate of ~24% and increased CapEx of ~$40 million. Year‑to‑date the company has net sales up 9%, adjusted EBITDA up 9% and adjusted diluted EPS up 18%; Q2 sales were $318 million (up 6%), gross profit $155 million (48.7% margin) and adjusted EBITDA $93 million (29.1% margin); balance‑sheet highlights include net leverage reduced to 1.5x (from 2.1x a year ago), $483 million in cash and short‑term investments (total liquidity >$900 million), H1 operating cash flow of $172 million and FCF of $154 million, an amended $960 million Term Loan B (maturing 2033) lowering spread by 61 bps and saving ~ $6 million annually, and $64 million of share repurchases for 4.4 million shares in H1.Hayward Holdings Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
74
Positive
Balance Sheet
58
Neutral
Cash Flow
66
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 1.17B | 1.12B | 1.05B | 992.45M | 1.31B | 1.40B |
| Gross Profit | 521.11M | 511.23M | 501.96M | 446.59M | 564.91M | 623.13M |
| EBITDA | 305.78M | 301.81M | 278.89M | 243.37M | 343.07M | 362.21M |
| Net Income | 161.41M | 151.57M | 118.66M | 80.69M | 179.35M | 203.72M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 3.12B | 3.15B | 2.99B | 2.95B | 2.88B | 2.98B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 483.38M | 399.11M | 196.59M | 203.10M | 56.18M | 265.80M |
| Total Debt | 10.81M | 13.26M | 975.39M | 1.16B | 1.11B | 992.83M |
| Total Liabilities | 1.52B | 1.56B | 1.57B | 1.63B | 1.65B | 1.61B |
| Stockholders Equity | 1.60B | 1.59B | 1.42B | 1.31B | 1.22B | 1.37B |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 204.26M | 225.36M | 187.78M | 153.55M | 86.32M | 162.25M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 239.24M | 256.03M | 212.07M | 184.54M | 115.94M | 189.39M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -216.92M | -103.78M | -54.13M | -55.38M | -92.57M | -48.78M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -82.32M | -20.85M | -136.79M | -7.61M | -229.24M | 10.96M |
Hayward Holdings Technical Analysis
Negative
14.52
Price Trends
14.06
Negative
14.44
Negative
14.90
Negative
Market Momentum
-0.49
Negative
32.56
Neutral
17.09
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For HAYW, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 14.52 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 12.83, above the 50-day MA of 14.06, and below the 200-day MA of 14.90, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.49 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 32.56 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 17.09 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for HAYW.
Hayward Holdings Risk Analysis
Hayward Holdings disclosed 50 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Hayward Holdings reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Hayward Holdings Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
78 Outperform | $25.12B | 28.05 | 23.65% | 1.19% | 10.61% | 9.52% | |
73 Outperform | $9.24B | 17.63 | 18.54% | 0.25% | 6.82% | 36.28% | |
63 Neutral | $10.79B | 15.43 | 7.44% | 2.01% | 2.89% | -14.66% | |
63 Neutral | $2.63B | 16.53 | 10.20% | ― | 7.78% | 23.21% | |
56 Neutral | $3.20B | -19.55 | -12.14% | 1.40% | 1.63% | -253.37% | |
52 Neutral | $791.80M | 30.65 | 7.51% | 0.94% | 20.23% | -15.15% | |
44 Neutral | $159.81M | -4.28 | -299.98% | ― | 8.05% | 21.73% |
* Industrials Sector Average
HAYW
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Hayward Holdings Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hayward Holdings Strengthens Accounting Leadership With New Officer
Positive
Oct 2, 2026
On September 30, 2026, Hayward Holdings’ board appointed Jared Arrowood as Chief Accounting Officer and principal accounting officer, effective October 1, 2026, while Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Eifion Jones ...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.