Leslie’s Appoints John Hartmann to Board of Directors

Leslie’s ( (LESL) ) has issued an update.

On January 6, 2026, Leslie’s, Inc. expanded its board of directors from eight to nine members and appointed veteran retail executive John Hartmann as an independent Class III director, effective January 7, 2026, with plans for him to stand for election at the 2026 annual shareholders’ meeting. Hartmann brings nearly 25 years of turnaround and transformation experience across major retail and home improvement businesses, including prior roles as CEO of Ascend Wellness Holdings and True Value, COO of Bed Bath & Beyond and head of its buybuy Baby division, and leadership positions at Home Depot, HD Supply and New Zealand home improvement chain Mitre 10, as well as extensive public and private board experience. Leslie’s board leadership framed the appointment as a way to bolster the company’s ongoing strategic transformation and modernization efforts, suggesting his turnaround expertise and governance background are expected to support long-term growth and value creation for shareholders and other stakeholders.

The most recent analyst rating on (LESL) stock is a Sell with a $1.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Leslie’s stock, see the LESL Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on LESL Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, LESL is a Underperform.

Leslie’s overall stock score is low due to significant financial instability, bearish technical indicators, and concerning valuation metrics. The company’s financial performance is weak, with negative equity and high debt levels. Technical analysis indicates a strong downtrend, and the valuation reflects market pessimism. While there are strategic initiatives to improve performance, the immediate outlook remains challenging.

To see Spark’s full report on LESL stock, click here.

More about Leslie’s

Leslie’s, Inc., founded in 1963, is the largest direct-to-customer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry, serving residential pool owners and pool professionals nationwide. The company focuses on the aftermarket for pool and spa maintenance with an extensive, largely exclusive assortment of essential care products, distributed through roughly 950 physical locations and a robust digital platform that together form an integrated nationwide retail and service ecosystem.

Average Trading Volume: 195,959

Technical Sentiment Signal: Sell

Current Market Cap: $17.93M

For an in-depth examination of LESL stock, go to TipRanks’ Overview page.