For most investors, how much a stock's price changes over time is important. Not only can it impact your investment portfolio, but it can also help you compare investment results across sectors and industries.
Another factor that can influence investors is FOMO, or the fear of missing out, especially with tech giants and popular consumer-facing stocks.
What if you'd invested in Generac Holdings (GNRC) ten years ago? It may not have been easy to hold on to GNRC for all that time, but if you did, how much would your investment be worth today?
Generac Holdings' Business In-Depth
With that in mind, let's take a look at Generac Holdings' main business drivers.
Headquartered in Waukesha, WI, and founded in 1959, Generac Holdings Inc is a leading manufacturer of backup and prime power generation systems for residential and C&I applications, solar + battery storage solutions, advanced power grid software platforms and services, energy management devices and controls along with engine and battery-powered tools and equipment.
The company has a wide distribution network spanning independent residential dealers, industrial distributors and dealers, national and regional retailers, e-commerce partners, wholesalers, equipment rental companies, equipment distributors, and solar installers. It also boasts a direct sales channel to various individual customers.
Generac broadly classifies its products into three categories depending on the end user types, namely Residential, C&I, and Other products and services.
The Residential business includes automatic standby generators (that run mainly on natural gas and liquid propane), air-cooled engine generators for emergency backup in small to medium-sized homes, and liquid-cooled engine generators for larger homes and small businesses. It also provides remote monitoring system for home standby generators called Mobile Link, offering Wi-Fi-enabled feature to conveniently check the status of generator online, while receiving maintenance and service alerts.
The C&I business includes cleaner-burning natural gas fueled generators and C&I generators that are fueled by diesel and Bi-Fuel.
The Other products and services category primarily comprise aftermarket service parts and product accessories.
Generac has two operating segments — Domestic and International. The Domestic segment (56.6% of 2024 revenues) includes the legacy Generac business and operations that are based in the United States and Canada. The International segment (13.4%) comprises Latin American export operations and other business units that generate revenues outside the United States and Canada.
Bottom Line
Putting together a successful investment portfolio takes a combination of research, patience, and a little bit of risk. For Generac Holdings, if you bought shares a decade ago, you're likely feeling really good about your investment today.
According to our calculations, a $1000 investment made in August 2015 would be worth $6,516.76, or a gain of 551.68%, as of August 22, 2025, and this return excludes dividends but includes price increases.
In comparison, the S&P 500's gained 223.21% and the price of gold went up 176.51% over the same time frame.
Going forward, analysts are expecting more upside for GNRC.
Generac's second-quarter performance gained from increases in both Residential products and Commercial & Industrial (“C&I”). Higher sales of portable generators and residential-energy technology products (ecobee and energy storage systems) were catalysts for Residential segment. Product launches and investments in boosting manufacturing capacity are likely to drive this segment's revenues going forward. Within C&I, opportunities in the data center vertical bode well as the company remains optimistic about its large megawatt generators. Margin performance gained from a favorable sales mix and lower input costs. Management also revised its expectations for 2025 owing to higher visibility, second-quarter outperformance and lower-than-expected price increases in the second half, stemming from lower tariff assumptions.
The stock is up 24.23% over the past four weeks, and no earnings estimate has gone lower in the past two months, compared to 6 higher, for fiscal 2025. The consensus estimate has moved up as well.
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Generac Holdings Inc. (GNRC): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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