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GNRCGenerac Holdlings Inc.Sell5.2·$292.52+2.95%
GNRC · Why this verdict

Why Generac Holdlings (GNRC) is rated SELL

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictSELL
Overall score5.2/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL
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.

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.

Stable
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.

Stable
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

3.9/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
P/E0.6
P/S7.7
EV/EBITDA0.0
Fwd P/E4.9
PEG6.3
Analyst target3.0
  • Forward P/E: 25.4x
  • PEG: 1.18

Quality

4.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE2.5
ROA2.5
Gross margin3.6
Op margin4.4
Net margin2.2
Current ratio7.1
FCF quality4.7
Moat6.4
Piotroski F10.0
  • Earnings quality warning: 61% FCF/NI
  • Strong Piotroski F-Score: 9/9

Growth

7.8/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth5.6
EPS growth10.0

Momentum

6.9/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI5.5
MACD10.0
OBV10.0
MA position9.0
Volume0.0
  • Volume accumulation (rising OBV)
  • Above 200-day MA

Sentiment

6.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
LLM sentiment6.2
Analyst rating7.3
Price target4.5

Insider

3.9/10data confidence 75%
ComponentSub-score
materiality4.5
insider conviction2.0
holder change5.1
  • Modest insider selling — $3,809,793 (0.023% of mkt cap)

Peer rank

2.8/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank2.4
quality rank2.3
growth rank6.6

Technical

4.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger1.1
support resistance0.4
52w position9.8
gap5.0

Risk (lower is worse)

4.9/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest8.0
days to cover8.1
volatility0.0
put call4.9
implied vol3.2
max pain risk3.0
beta3.6
debt equity7.9
news risk5.0
  • High IV: 61%
  • Above max pain $140
  • Concentration risks: 1 HIGH (10-K Item 1A — sized via position_sizing, validated via buy_confidence)

Catalyst

5.6/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history3.3
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg6.8
news activity8.0
  • Earnings concerns: 2B/2M

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Multiple concerning factors. Consider reducing position.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_F_SELL
Passed (7)
  • MOMENTUM:6.9>=5.5
  • INSIDER:OK
  • 8K:CLEAN
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:33d clear
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (1)
  • ASYMMETRY:-0.9=NEGATIVE
Warning (0)

none

Reward-to-Risk
-0.87
Upside
-13.0%
Downside
15.0%
Sizing output
AVOID

SetupBREAKOUT Golden cross, above all MAs, RSI 55, MACD bullish

EdgeNO_EDGE No clear edge identified

SuitabilityAGGRESSIVE Beta 1.91>1.3

Investment implication

The F-path SELL output reflects an overall score of 5.2 below the 5.6 soft trigger — multiple weakening dimensions accumulated rather than a single hard-floor breach. The strongest dimension ( Growth at 7.8) was not enough to lift the adjusted overall above the threshold. Co-occurring failed gates ( ASYMMETRY:-0.9=NEGATIVE) reinforce the read. Current asymmetry R:R is -0.87 — supplementary context, not the trigger for this path.

The strongest dimensions are Growth at 7.8, Momentum at 6.9, and Sentiment at 6.1; the weakest are Peer rank at 2.8, Insider at 3.9, and Value at 3.9. The V9 engine flagged 1 failed gate, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of -0.87 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.

What would invalidate the thesis

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

  • P1A 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.

    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.

  • P2With 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.

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

  • P3A 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.

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

  • P4Two 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.

    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.

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