GNRC and CAT are capitalizing on AI-driven data center power demand, but differences in backlog, valuation and financial strength favor one stock.
GNRC expects $350 million in 2026 free cash flow despite higher capital spending, as a $1.6 billion data center backlog fuels capacity expansion.
GNRC's data center sales are surging on AI demand and hyperscale deals, but a growing mix of lower-margin C&I products puts profitability in focus.
Generac Holdings (GNRC) has an impressive earnings surprise history and currently possesses the right combination of the two key ingredients for a likely beat in its next quarterly report.
GNRC's 57.8% YTD surge reflects booming data center demand and a major Amazon deal, but residential softness and margin risks loom.
GNRC's data center boom fuels 29% C&I sales growth and lifts its 2026 outlook, but tariff volatility and a shifting sales mix could pressure margins.
Why investors should use the Zacks Earnings ESP tool to help find stocks that are poised to top quarterly earnings estimates.
Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) is sinking in morning trading, giving back a piece of one of the year's most explosive rallies. Shares are at $258.36, down 6%, while broad industrial and market benchmarks trade only modestly lower.
Amazon.com TodayAMZNAmazon.com$258.45 +4.74 (+1.87%) As of 09/21/2026 04:00 PM Eastern52-Week Range$196.00▼$287.20P/E Ratio20.79Price Target$321.19Add to WatchlistWhen a company signs a deal to buy backup generators, it rarely counts as market-moving news. But when that company is Amazon.com Inc. NASDAQ: AMZN, and the deal is tied to feeding its ever-growing network of AI data centers, it says something important about the state of the AI boom, and where the real bottlenecks now lie.
Generac Holdings is rated 'Buy' following a transformative Amazon supply agreement, with $2.4 billion in initial committed deliveries for 2027-2028. GNRC's data center and C&I growth, validated by Amazon and a second hyperscale customer, is shifting its earnings profile beyond residential generators. The $8 billion figure represents a potential threshold for Amazon's warrant vesting, not guaranteed revenue, clarifying the true scale of the deal.
Generac's multi-year data center backlog reached $1.6B in FQ2'26, with the new Amazon deal potentially worth up to $8B, fueling their accelerated AI monetization trends. Strategic capacity expansions and healthier balance sheet position them to capitalize on the multi-year cloud super cycle, supported by the richer cash flows. The prior meltdown has contributed to GNRC's cheaper P/E of 17.96x and 3Y PEG ratio of 0.50x, while triggering the rich upside potential to my LTPT of $323.60.
Generac is evolving into a power solutions provider, with data centers now driving its growth thesis. The Amazon agreement, with $2.4B in expected generator deliveries for 2027-2028, provides significant C&I revenue visibility and brand credibility. I now model 30% revenue growth for 2027 and 25% for 2028, supporting a $300 price target (40-45% upside).