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Generac Up 39% in Three Months: Where Will the Stock Head From Here?

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Key Takeaways

  • Generac surged 38.7% in three months, outpacing the S&P 500.
  • Residential products' demand, ecobee growth and data-center entry drive strong long-term opportunities.
  • New products like PWRcell 2 and PWRmicro to boost top-line momentum.

Generac Holdings Inc. (GNRC - Free Report) stock has surged 38.7% in the past three months, outpacing the S&P 500 composite’s growth of 8.8%. The Manufacturing General Industrial and the broader Industrial Products market have registered rise of 6.2% and 6.5%, respectively.

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GNRC lost 2.4% yesterday and closed the session at $175.14, down 13.8% from its 52-week high of $203.26. This raises the question of whether this pullback signals a buying opportunity.

To determine if it is the right time to buy, sell or hold the GNRC stock, let us carefully evaluate the key factors.

Taking a Look at GNRC’s Tailwinds

Momentum in Residential Products sales bodes well for GNRC. In the last reported quarter, revenues from Residential Products surged 7% year over year to $574 million. Higher demand for portable generators and higher shipments of residential-energy technology products (ecobee and energy storage systems) were the catalysts. Shipments of energy storage systems increased significantly, driven by strong execution in Puerto Rico. Connected ecobee homes grew to more than 4.5 million, driven by rising energy services and subscription attach rates. ecobee is anticipated to deliver positive profitability for the full year.

Frequent product launches are expected to unlock new growth opportunities as these aid in addressable market expansion and support mix/margin. Generac began taking orders for the next-gen PWRcell 2, with first shipments started in July 2025. It recently unveiled Generac PWRmicro, an installer-friendly microinverter. This power backup solution, coupled with GNRC’s PWRcell 2, ecobee Smart Thermostat and home standby generators, boosts its smart ecosystem of energy products.

Improving C&I segment sales is another catalyst. C&I revenues totaled $362 million, up 5% year over year, driven by increased shipments to domestic industrial distributors and telecom customers as well as strong growth within Europe. For 2025, C&I sales are now expected to be modestly higher than the previous guidance of flat revenues, driven by second-quarter outperformance and favorable forex rates.

Management expects its entry in the data-center vertical to be a strong business opportunity in the long term for C&I segment amid accelerating investment in data centers and the proliferation of artificial intelligence. In the second quarter, driven by a strong initial reception, the company has developed a significant global pipeline of opportunities and is now building a robust backlog for its new high-output diesel generator product. The company has built a global backlog of more than $150 million in the second quarter.

Significant changes in the energy landscape, drastic climate change, aging power infrastructure and deployment of AI and superfast 5G technology are likely to spur growth opportunities for Generac over the long term.

Headwinds Remain for GNRC

In the last reported quarter, home standby generator sales were flat year over year. Moreover, GNRC tweaked guidance for Residential Product sales owing to revised pricing assumptions in the home standby generator category, due to revised tariff levels. Residential Product sales are now expected to be slightly lower than the previous guidance of a low single-digit range. Since home standby category has been the mainstay of residential segment, muted growth might drag down the overall top-line momentum.

Also, shipments to national and independent rental equipment customers were “soft” in the second quarter, with weakness expected to persist through the latter half of 2025.

Management acknowledged that the residential solar market is expected to contract in the years ahead due to the legislative changes and now recalibrating investments in this area. Though Generac remains bullish on the long-term outlook, the near to medium-term headwinds tied to this policy shift could undermine growth and return on investments in energy storage and solar-adjacent businesses.

Amid intense competition, increasing expenses could eat away at margins. In the last reported quarter, total operating expenses were $305 million, up 12% year over year, caused by higher variable costs due to higher shipment volumes, increased employee costs and ongoing operating expenses related to recent acquisitions. Higher operating costs could affect margin performance if revenues do not meet expectations or strategic efforts do not yield desired results, impacting profitability.

Analysts have marginally revised upwards estimates for the current quarter and the current year.

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GNRC’s Valuation

Generac’s forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 21.08X, which is almost in line with the industry average of 21.1X observed in the past year.

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How to Play GNRC Stock?

Generac has staged an impressive rebound, but recent softness in home standby generators has tempered the near-term growth outlook. While ecobee momentum, energy storage expansion and data center opportunities provide strong long-term tailwinds, policy shifts in solar and rising operating costs pose concerns.

With both catalysts and headwinds balanced, the stock offers limited upside in the near term. We believe new investors should wait for a better entry point and existing investors should retain GNRC stock, which currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Stocks to Consider

Stocks worth consideration within the same space are Dover Corporation (DOV - Free Report) , RBC Bearings Incorporated (RBC - Free Report) and Trimble Inc. (TRMB - Free Report) , each presently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DOV’s 2025 EPS is pegged at $9.46, unchanged in the past seven days. DOV’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 4%. Its shares have declined 1.4% in the past three months.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RBC’s fiscal 2026 earnings is pegged at $11.54 per share, unchanged in the past seven days. RBC’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing once, with the average surprise being 3.8%. Its shares have inched up 1.5% in the past three months.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TRMB’s 2025 EPS is pegged at $2.99. TRMB’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 7.53%. Its shares have surged 10.5% in the past three months. 

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