Skip to main content
GNRCGenerac Holdlings Inc.Hold6.1·$203.36
GNRC · Why this verdict

Why Generac Holdlings (GNRC) is rated HOLD

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. How we score · Editorial policy

Show full disclosure ▾

About TrendMatrix. TrendMatrix is a publisher of general securities research and market commentary. We publish on a regular schedule. All content is the same for every subscriber in a tier — we do not provide personalized investment advice and we do not take into account any individual subscriber's financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, tax situation, or holdings.

Not investment advice. TrendMatrix is not a registered investment adviser. Our content is for informational and educational purposes only. Consult your own licensed investment adviser, broker, or tax professional before making any investment decision.

Conflicts and positions. People who build TrendMatrix, or entities they control, may hold positions, long or short, in securities it covers, and may trade them at any time. Positions are not disclosed individually. Verdicts are generated by an automated model applied by the same rules to every covered stock, and are not adjusted for any position held by the people who build TrendMatrix. We do not accept payment from issuers for coverage.

No paid promotion. TrendMatrix does not accept payment from any issuer, broker, or third party in exchange for coverage of any security.

No fiduciary duty. No fiduciary, advisory, or agency relationship is created between you and TrendMatrix by reading our content or subscribing to our service.

Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.

Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictHOLD
Overall score6.1/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroRISK_OFF
TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

A growth-oriented industrial name with a perfect Piotroski financial health score is held back by a negative risk/reward at current prices — the stock sits above its resistance target with roughly 12% of defined downside against 6.7% of stated upside — combined with an exceptionally elevated put/call ratio and two recent consecutive earnings misses that introduce meaningful uncertainty about near-term delivery.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Thesis pillars

A perfect Piotroski F-Score of 9 out of 9 signals broad financial health across balance sheet, profitability, and operating efficiency dimensions; however, the overall quality score remains below average, reflecting thin margins and below-peer returns that do not yet support a premium multiple.

→Stable
Quality
Expectation
The below-average quality assessment clears if free cash flow conversion rises above 80% of net income and overall quality improves materially over the next 4 quarters.

CounterTwo consecutive prior quarterly misses indicate execution has been inconsistent in recent periods; a perfect Piotroski score reflects historical financial health that may lag actual near-term delivery, and the most recent beat of 35% has not yet been confirmed as the start of a new consistent trend.

With the stock already above its take-profit resistance ceiling and the asymmetry ratio firmly negative — implying roughly 6.7% in stated upside against approximately 12% of defined downside — the risk/reward at current prices is unfavorable, and the setup does not offer a margin of safety for new entry.

Tripped→Stable
V9
Expectation
The setup improves if the price retreats below $258, creating upside greater than 12% to the $288 resistance target, or if the analyst consensus target is revised materially above $300.

CounterA recent analyst mention in news coverage and the bull case's reference to a strong growth profile suggest the street may revise price targets higher; if consensus moves above $300, the current resistance ceiling becomes the new floor and an entry at today's price would look prescient in retrospect.

A put/call ratio of 3.88 is exceptionally elevated and indicates the options market is positioned very heavily for further downside; this degree of hedging typically reflects institutional concern about a specific near-term catalyst risk and creates a meaningful technical overhang on the share price.

↑Improving
Risk
Expectation
The bearish positioning clears if the put/call ratio falls below 1.5 over the next quarter, indicating hedges have been unwound and sentiment has normalized.

CounterThe most recent quarterly result delivered a 35% upside earnings surprise; if a similarly strong print occurs in the next reporting period, forced unwinds of put positions and short covers could amplify a sharp upward move, turning the elevated hedging into a contrarian tailwind.

Two consecutive quarterly misses — with surprises of approximately -17% and -9% in the October 2025 and February 2026 quarters respectively — followed by a most recent beat of 35% show volatile earnings delivery that makes forward estimates unreliable and warrants caution despite the positive most recent print.

↑Improving
Earnings
Expectation
Delivery consistency is established if the next 2 quarterly prints each produce positive EPS surprises, demonstrating the prior miss streak was anomalous.

CounterThe most recent quarterly beat of 35% demonstrates the business retains the capacity for large upside surprises, and the bull case cites a strong growth profile; if the underlying demand environment is strengthening, the prior two misses may reflect a discrete execution issue rather than an ongoing structural problem.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

7.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
P/E3.0
P/S8.6
EV/EBITDA0.8
Fwd P/E8.0
PEG9.6
Analyst target9.0
  • ▸Forward P/E: 15.1x
  • ▸PEG: 0.57

Quality

5.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE3.5
ROA3.4
Gross margin4.0
Op margin5.0
Net margin3.3
Current ratio6.9
FCF quality9.3
Moat6.4
Piotroski F10.0
  • ▸Excellent cash conversion: 130% FCF/NI
  • ▸Strong Piotroski F-Score: 9/9

Growth

8.3/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth6.6
EPS growth10.0

Momentum

4.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI3.5
MACD0.0
OBV10.0
MA position4.2
Volume6.0
  • ▸Volume accumulation (rising OBV)
  • ▸Below 200-MA but MA still rising (+3.9%/30d) — pullback in uptrend, not confirmed weakness

Sentiment

7.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
LLM sentiment6.7
Analyst rating7.4
Price target9.2
  • ▸LLM news sentiment: +0.33 (n=3)
  • ▸Analyst upside: 41%

Insider

3.5/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
materiality4.5
insider conviction2.0
holder change4.4
notable moves3.0
  • ▸Modest insider selling — $3,656,537 (0.030% of mkt cap)

Peer rank

4.6/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank4.0
quality rank3.3
growth rank6.9

Technical

4.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger5.3
support resistance5.3
52w position3.7

Risk (lower is worse)

5.6/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest7.6
days to cover9.0
volatility0.0
put call8.8
implied vol2.8
max pain risk3.0
debt equity8.0
  • ▸High IV: 63%
  • ▸Above max pain $172
  • ▸Concentration risks: 1 HIGH (10-K Item 1A — sized via position_sizing, validated via buy_confidence)

Catalyst

6.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history6.7
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg10.0
news activity7.0
  • ▸Strong earnings: 3B/1M

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Multiple concerning factors. Consider reducing position. | News modifier +2 (SELL_IF_HOLDING → HOLD_IF_HOLDING).

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_F_SELL|L3:NEWS_MOD=+2
Passed (8)
  • MOMENTUM:4.7>=4.5
  • ASYMMETRY:2.4>=1.5
  • INSIDER:OK
  • 8K:CLEAN
  • NEWS_BOOST:ANALYST:0.40
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:102d clear
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (0)

none

Warning (1)
  • MOMENTUM:4.7<5.5 (soft — BUY_NOW allowed but watch)
Reward-to-Risk
2.41
Upside
+26.8%
Downside
11.1%
Sizing output
AVOID

Setup— — No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed

EdgeNo clear edge — No clear edge identified

SuitabilityModerate — Balanced profile

Investment implication

The F-path SELL output reflects an overall score of 5.4 below the 5.6 soft trigger — multiple weakening dimensions accumulated rather than a single hard-floor breach. The strongest dimension ( Growth at 8.3) was not enough to lift the adjusted overall above the threshold. Current asymmetry R:R is 2.41 — supplementary context, not the trigger for this path.

The strongest dimensions are Growth at 8.3, Sentiment at 7.7, and Value at 7.0; the weakest are Insider at 3.5, Peer rank at 4.6, and Momentum at 4.7. The V9 engine cleared all gates with 1 warning, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of 2.41 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1Strong Piotroski But Weak Overall Quality

    Trip ifFree cash flow conversion rises above 80% of net income for 2 consecutive quarters, removing the earnings quality warning and indicating the below-average quality score was a lagging indicator.

  • P2Negative Risk Reward Above TargetTripped

    Trip ifPrice retreats below $258, creating upside greater than 12% to the $288 resistance target and restoring a favorable risk/reward.

  • P3Elevated Options Bearish Positioning

    Trip ifPut/call ratio falls below 1.5 for 2 consecutive weeks, indicating the bearish hedging overhang has been substantially absorbed.

  • P4Inconsistent Earnings Delivery

    Trip ifEPS surprise remains positive (above 0%) for 3 consecutive quarters, demonstrating sustained recovery from the prior 2-quarter miss streak.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

Home › Stocks › GNRC › Why this verdict