Generac (NYSE:GNRC) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong Sell”

Zacks Research downgraded shares of Generac (NYSE:GNRC) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note published on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Barclays cut their price target on Generac from $197.00 to $186.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $195.00 price target on Generac in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Bank of America reduced their target price on Generac from $236.00 to $224.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on shares of Generac from $210.00 to $202.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Generac from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $207.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $195.29.

Generac Trading Up 1.9%

NYSE GNRC opened at $175.28 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 2.18. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $151.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $167.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.39, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.82. Generac has a 52 week low of $99.50 and a 52 week high of $203.25.

Generac (NYSE:GNRC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The technology company reported $1.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.25 by ($0.42). The business had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. Generac had a net margin of 6.92% and a return on equity of 17.63%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.25 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Generac will post 8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Aaron Jagdfeld sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $166.43, for a total value of $832,150.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 542,966 shares in the company, valued at approximately $90,365,831.38. This trade represents a 0.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Generac

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its position in Generac by 127.0% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 959,337 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $130,825,000 after purchasing an additional 536,732 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in Generac in the fourth quarter worth about $225,000. Willis Investment Counsel boosted its position in shares of Generac by 10.5% during the fourth quarter. Willis Investment Counsel now owns 143,137 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $19,520,000 after purchasing an additional 13,553 shares in the last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC increased its stake in shares of Generac by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 1,684 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $230,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Generac by 22.0% in the 4th quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,609 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $492,000 after buying an additional 650 shares during the last quarter. 84.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Generac

Generac Holdings Inc (NYSE: GNRC) is a leading manufacturer of backup power generation products for residential, commercial and industrial applications. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of standby and portable generators, transfer switches and power management systems designed to provide reliable electricity during power outages and other critical situations. With an emphasis on innovation, Generac has expanded its offerings to include clean energy technologies such as battery storage and integrated solar-plus-storage systems.

Generac’s product lineup addresses a broad range of customer needs.