Generac Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
WAUKESHA, Wis., April 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Generac Holdings Inc. (NYSE: GNRC) (“Generac” or the “Company”), a leading global designer and manufacturer of energy technology solutions and other power products, today reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2026, and provided an update on its outlook for the full year 2026.
First Quarter 2026 Highlights
“Our first quarter results reflect significant growth in our C&I segment and strong adjusted EBITDA margin expansion as we continue to strategically create a more balanced business with improved scale,” said Aaron Jagdfeld, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are continuing to build momentum in the large and rapidly growing data center end market as we are in the final stages of vendor approval with multiple hyperscale customers and have expanded our backlog for these products with both new and existing customers. Additionally, we completed the acquisition of Enercon earlier this month, which will increase our vertical integration and provide for further margin expansion in large megawatt backup power solutions. As a result of our growing backlog for data center customers, the Enercon acquisition, and our first quarter outperformance, we are increasing our sales and adjusted EBITDA margin outlook for 2026, which does not assume any incremental impact of a multi-year hyperscale agreement at this point in time.”
Additional First Quarter 2026 Consolidated Highlights
Gross profit margin was 38.7% as compared to 39.5% in the prior year first quarter. The decrease in gross margin was primarily driven by the higher mix of C&I sales, partially offset by favorable price/cost realization.
Operating expenses increased by $4.6 million, or 2%, as compared to the first quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily driven by higher intangible amortization.
Provision for income taxes for the current year quarter was $23.6 million, or an effective tax rate of 24.4%, as compared to $14.2 million, or a 24.3% effective tax rate, for the prior year.
Cash flow from operations was $119.3 million during the first quarter, as compared to $58.2 million in the prior year. Free cash flow, as defined in the accompanying reconciliation schedules, was $89.9 million as compared to $27.2 million in the first quarter of 2025. This strong increase in free cash flow during the quarter was primarily driven by higher operating earnings and a lower use of cash for working capital as compared to the prior year.
First Quarter Business Segment Results
See the Company’s 8-K filed today for additional quarterly segment financial information for fiscal 2025 that has been recast to align with the Company’s reorganization as announced at its Investor Day on March 25, 2026.
Residential Segment
Residential segment total sales increased approximately 1% to $552.2 million as compared to $548.7 million in the prior year. This sales increase was primarily driven by higher portable generator shipments, partially offset by a decline in energy storage system sales. Home standby generator sales were approximately flat as higher pricing in the current year was offset by lower volumes due to a strong prior year period that included the benefit from a substantial 2024 hurricane season.
Adjusted EBITDA for the segment was $138.6 million, or 25.1% of residential segment total sales, as compared to $111.6 million, or 20.3% of residential sales, in the prior year. This margin increase was primarily driven by operational efficiencies resulting in lower operating expenses and favorable price realization that more than offset higher input costs.
Commercial & Industrial Segment
Commercial & Industrial segment total sales increased approximately 28% to $510.1 million from $399.0 million in the prior year quarter, including an approximate 10% net favorable impact from the combination of acquisitions, divestitures, and foreign currency. The core total sales growth for the segment was primarily driven by revenue from products sold to global data center customers, increased shipments to our domestic industrial distributor and rental channels, and higher sales of our controls solutions to the global power generation market.
Adjusted EBITDA for the segment, before deducting for noncontrolling interests, was $66.5 million, or 13.0% of C&I total sales, as compared to $45.3 million, or 11.4% of total sales, in the prior year. This margin increase was primarily driven by improved price/cost realization, the accretive impact of the Allmand acquisition, and operating leverage on higher shipment volumes.
2026 Outlook
As a result of our growing backlog with data center customers, the acquisition of Enercon, and strong first quarter outperformance, the Company is increasing its outlook for net sales growth and adjusted EBITDA margin for full year 2026. Total net sales growth is now expected to be in the mid-to-high teens percent range as compared to the prior year, which includes an approximate 2% favorable impact from the net effect of foreign currency, acquisitions, and divestitures. This compares to the previous expectation for total net sales growth in the mid-teens percent range. C&I segment sales are now expected to grow in the mid-to-high 20% range during the year, an increase from the previous guidance of growth in the low-to-mid 20% range. Residential segment sales are still projected to increase in the 10% range from the prior year.
Additionally, the Company still expects net income margin, before deducting for non-controlling interests, to be approximately 8.0 to 9.0% for the full-year 2026. The corresponding adjusted EBITDA margin is now expected to be approximately 18.5 to 19.5%, as compared to the previous guidance of 18.0 to 19.0%. This updated guidance does not include the future favorable impact of any potential tariff recovery.
Conference Call and Webcast
Generac management will hold a conference call at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 to discuss first quarter 2026 operating results. A webcast of the conference call can be accessed at the following link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/734quh73
The webcast of the conference call is also available on Generac's website ( http://www.generac.com), accessed under the Investor Relations link. The webcast link will be made available on the Company’s website prior to the start of the call within the Events section of the Investor Relations website.
Following the live webcast, a replay will be available on the Company’s website for 12 months.
About Generac
Generac is a total energy solutions company that empowers people to use energy on their own terms. Founded in 1959, Generac is a leading global designer, manufacturer, and provider of a wide range of energy technology solutions. The Company provides power generation equipment, energy storage systems, energy management devices & solutions, and other power products and services serving the residential, commercial, data center, telecom, rental, and industrial markets. Generac introduced the first affordable backup generator and later created the automatic home standby generator category. The Company’s broad portfolio of energy technology offerings for homes and businesses enables its mission to Power a Smarter World and lead the evolution to more resilient, efficient, and innovative energy solutions.
Forward-looking Information
Certain statements contained in this news release, as well as other information provided from time to time by Generac Holdings Inc. or its employees, may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give Generac's current expectations and projections relating to the Company's financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements may include words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend," "believe," "confident," "may," "should," "can have," "likely," "future," "optimistic" and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events.
Any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance or results, and involve risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond the Company's control) and assumptions. Although Generac believes any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect Generac's actual financial results and cause them to differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, including:
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, Generac's actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in any forward-looking statements. A detailed discussion of these and other factors that may affect future results is contained in Generac's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), particularly in the Risk Factors section of the Annual Report on Form 10-K and in its periodic reports on Form 10-Q. Stockholders, potential investors and other readers should consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements.
Any forward-looking statement made by Generac in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Generac undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
Non-GAAP Financial Metrics
Core Sales
The Company references core sales to further supplement Generac's consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Core sales excludes the impact of acquisitions and fluctuations in foreign currency translation. Management believes that core sales facilitates easier and more meaningful comparison of net sales performance with prior and future periods.
Adjusted EBITDA
To supplement Generac’s consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company provides the computation of Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the Company, which is defined as net income (loss) before noncontrolling interests adjusted for the following items: interest expense, depreciation expense, amortization of intangible assets, income tax expense (benefit), certain non-cash gains and losses including certain purchase accounting adjustments and contingent consideration adjustments, share-based compensation expense, certain transaction costs and credit facility fees, business optimization expenses, provision for certain legal and regulatory charges, certain specific provisions, mark-to-market gains and losses on a minority investment, and Adjusted EBITDA attributable to noncontrolling interests. The provision for legal and regulatory charges adjusts for matters that are significant and not part of the ordinary routine litigation or regulatory matters incidental to the Company’s business, such as large suits and settlements, class action lawsuits, government inquiries and certain intellectual property litigation. The adjustments to net income (loss) in computing Adjusted EBITDA are set forth in the reconciliation table below. The computation of Adjusted EBITDA is based primarily on the definition included in our Credit Agreement.
Adjusted Net Income
To further supplement Generac's consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company provides a summary to show the computation of adjusted net income attributable to the Company. Adjusted net income attributable to the Company is defined as net income (loss) before noncontrolling interests adjusted for the following items: amortization of intangible assets, amortization of deferred financing costs and original issue discount related to the Company's debt, intangible impairment charges, certain transaction costs and other purchase accounting adjustments, business optimization expenses, provision for certain legal and regulatory charges, certain specific provisions, mark-to-market gains and losses on a minority investment, other non-cash gains and losses, and adjusted net income attributable to non-controlling interests.
Free Cash Flow
In addition, the Company references free cash flow to further supplement Generac's consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities, less expenditures for property and equipment, and is intended to be a measure of operational cash flow taking into account additional capital expenditure investment into the business.
The presentation of this additional information is not meant to be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for, results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Please see the accompanying Reconciliation Schedules and our SEC filings for additional discussion of the basis for Generac's reporting of Non-GAAP financial measures, which includes why the Company believes these measures provide useful information to investors and the additional purposes for which management uses the non-GAAP financial information.
SOURCE: Generac Holdings Inc.
CONTACT:
Kris Rosemann
Director – Corporate Finance & Investor Relations
(262) 506-6064
InvestorRelations@generac.com