Alta Equipment Group (NYSE:ALTG) executives said improving market conditions and a rebound in equipment demand helped close out fiscal 2025, even as seasonal factors and lingering tariff-related pressures weighed on certain parts of the business.
On the company’s fourth quarter and full-year 2025 earnings call, Chairman and CEO Ryan Greenawalt said Alta is entering 2026 with a “noticeably healthier backdrop” after nearly two years of elevated inventories, tariff-driven costs, and macro uncertainty. He pointed to lower interest rates, “tax clarity” following the One Big Beautiful Bill, and better customer sentiment as factors supporting a more constructive environment. However, he noted that an early onset of winter in northern markets amplified the typical seasonal slowdown in product support and rental activity, contributing to quarterly results that “came in short of expectations,” despite what management described as a record quarter for equipment sales.
Fourth-quarter results: record equipment sales and deleveraging
Colucci emphasized that stronger equipment sales, combined with ongoing rental fleet reductions, supported cash flow and balance sheet improvement. Net debt declined by approximately $25 million sequentially during the quarter.
Product support performance was mixed, with parts and service revenue totaling $127.4 million and remaining stable year-over-year. Management said the earlier-than-usual winter reduced field workdays, but product support margins expanded by 330 basis points to 46.1%, driven by pricing discipline and technician productivity.
Rental revenue declined $4.7 million, or nearly 10% year-over-year, which Colucci said was largely anticipated and tied to the company’s continued effort to shrink its rental fleet. Alta reduced total rental fleet gross book value by approximately $38 million during 2025.
Adjusted EBITDA was $40.6 million for the quarter, essentially flat year-over-year. Colucci said the “quality of earnings improved,” with a higher contribution from product support and less reliance on rental equipment sales.
- Material handling: adjusted EBITDA of $15.4 million, down $2.9 million year-over-year, primarily due to lower revenues.
- Construction: adjusted EBITDA of $26.4 million, modestly higher year-over-year as SG&A reductions and improved revenue mix offset pressure on equipment margins.
- Master distribution: returned to positive EBITDA in the quarter, reflecting improved volumes and gross margins year-over-year.
Full-year 2025: margin pressure, cost reductions, and improved earnings mix
For full-year 2025, Alta reported revenue of $1.84 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $164.4 million, down modestly from 2024. Colucci described three major themes shaping the year:
- Equipment market pressure: The company experienced weaker equipment markets—particularly in material handling—along with continued gross margin declines in new and used equipment. Equipment gross margins fell to 14.1%, down about 100 basis points year-over-year, which management attributed to tariff impacts, competitive discounting, and oversupply.
- Lower capital intensity and a reduced fixed cost base: Rental activity declined “primarily by design,” as Alta prioritized returns on capital and cash flow. The company reduced SG&A by more than $20 million, which Colucci said reflected structural actions including tighter headcount management, operational simplification, and more disciplined spending.
- Improved earnings quality in construction: While construction segment adjusted EBITDA declined modestly year-over-year, construction product support EBITDA increased by more than $13 million and gains on rental equipment sales declined by about $11 million, shifting earnings toward more recurring service-driven profit.
In cash flow and balance sheet commentary, Colucci said Alta generated approximately $105 million of free cash flow before rent-to-sell decisioning and $103.1 million after rent-to-sell decisioning. The company ended the year with about $249 million in total liquidity and net leverage of 4.9x. Management said deleveraging remains a priority and it has a plan to be below 4.5x by the end of 2026.
Segment trends: infrastructure-driven construction, improving material handling signals
Greenawalt said Alta’s construction business is anchored to customers tied to “long-term, fully funded infrastructure programs,” which management believes provides visibility and stability. He highlighted Florida as a growth driver due to a pipeline of transportation projects expected to begin in coming quarters, and said quoting activity was running ahead of where it started 2025. Greenawalt also cited a specialty equipment win: Alta’s Michigan team sold what he described as the first two Volvo EC950F ultra high-reach machines globally, with deliveries scheduled for the second quarter.
In material handling, Greenawalt said quote activity improved from late-year lows, bookings strengthened to start the year, the company’s share position improved, and backlog was up year-over-year. He cautioned that any meaningful volume acceleration is likely to be second-half weighted due to the typical sales cycle from quote to order to delivery. Management cited food and beverage distribution, pharmaceuticals, and logistics as areas where customers are reengaging in fleet planning.
Master distribution posted double-digit revenue growth in 2025, supported by expansion in environmental processing markets including biofuels, waste, and recycling. Greenawalt said tariffs and supply chain timing created “meaningful margin pressure,” but underlying demand remained intact.
2026 outlook: EBITDA guidance bridge and key assumptions
Colucci walked through a bridge from 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $164.4 million to the midpoint of 2026 guidance of $180 million. He said the bridge assumes a “normalization” of activity toward long-term historical levels rather than a return to peak conditions. Management expects modest recovery in new and used equipment volumes, with improvements second-half weighted, especially in material handling. The company also expects modest equipment margin improvement due to better mix, improved inventory alignment, and reduced competitive pricing pressure.
Other contributors include product support growth as fleets age, modest improvement in rental utilization on a smaller fleet, and improved master distribution volumes and margins as tariff-related conditions stabilize and 2025 OEM price renegotiations take hold. These positives are expected to be partially offset by lower rental equipment sales as Alta continues defleeting and extends hold periods to maximize returns.
Q&A: reshoring timeline, federal funding visibility, and capital allocation priorities
During the question-and-answer session, management said reshoring is more of a longer-range demand driver, with projects “earmarked” but not yet active enough to drive significant equipment utilization, though executives suggested there could be some impact in 2026 tied to general activity in existing manufacturing facilities.
On construction funding, management said it believes recent federal infrastructure-related programs are in the “fifth or sixth inning” of deployment and pointed to continued strength in state DOT budgets, with Florida and Michigan cited as active markets.
Asked about what could push results toward the high or low end of 2026 guidance, management pointed to construction industry volume outcomes, potential reversion in material handling unit volumes from depressed levels, rental utilization returning more quickly than expected, and a rebound in Midwest manufacturing activity that could support product support growth.
On capital allocation, management said deleveraging remains the priority. Colucci said Alta does not expect to reinstate its common dividend in the short run and described share repurchases under a 10b5-1 plan as “immaterial” relative to the company’s cash flows.
Management also addressed competitive intensity and equipment margin pressure, saying the market remains somewhat oversupplied but that less discounting in 2026 relative to 2024 and 2025 could improve the pricing environment, potentially later in the year.
About Alta Equipment Group (NYSE:ALTG)
Alta Equipment Group, Inc (NYSE: ALTG) is a North American distributor of material handling and logistics equipment. The company offers a broad lineup of forklifts, lift trucks, aerial work platforms, tow motors, pallet jacks and related attachments, serving manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and industrial facilities. Through its network of branch locations, Alta Equipment provides customers with new and used sales, short- and long-term rentals, and integrated fleet management solutions designed to support operational efficiency.
In addition to equipment sales, Alta Equipment supports customers with comprehensive after-sales services.
