Start here if you're new
what it is
Alta sells, rents, fixes, and installs industrial equipment for builders and factories.
how it gets paid
Last year Alta Equipment made $1.8B in revenue. Construction equipment was the main engine at $0.72B, or 40% of sales.
why growth slowed
Revenue fell 2.2% last year. Revenue jumped 214% vs. prior year, but gross margin was 26.8% and EPS stayed negative.
what just happened
Alta posted $1.3B in revenue and still lost $2.16 a share.
At a glance
C balance sheet — red flag territory — real financial stress
20/100 earnings predictability — expect surprises
4.6% return on capital — nothing to write home about
-$1.96 fy2024 eps est
$2B fy2024 rev est
xvary composite: 20/100 — weak
What they do
Alta sells, rents, fixes, and installs industrial equipment for builders and factories.
You do not just buy a forklift from Alta. You buy parts, service, installation, and rental from one dealer with 2,900 employees. Sales can stall. Repairs still bill. The 26.8% gross margin, or sales after direct costs, says the back end still pays.
How they make money
$1.8B
annual revenue · their business grew -2.2% last year
Construction equipment
$0.72B
2.0%
Material handling
$0.45B
1.0%
Parts and service
$0.30B
+3.0%
Rental
$0.20B
5.0%
Automation and environmental
$0.13B
+6.0%
The products that matter
forklifts and warehouse equipment
material handling
~60% of revenue
it is the biggest revenue bucket, at roughly 60% of the business, so warehouse and distribution spending still decides a lot of your outcome.
largest segment
excavators, loaders, compactors
construction equipment
~30% of revenue
this segment is tied to project activity and equipment demand. At roughly 30% of revenue, it gives you upside in a recovery and pain when customers delay orders.
cycle exposure
maintenance, repairs, fleet support
parts, service, and rentals
$735M combined
parts & service at $550M plus rentals at $185M add up to $735M. That is the steadier slice of the model, and you want it growing faster than equipment sales from here.
stability watch
Key numbers
$848M
long debt
That is 4.3x the $197M market cap. You are buying the business after lenders already got paid first.
8.7%
operating margin
For every $100 of sales, Alta keeps $8.70 before interest and taxes.
4.6%
return on capital
The company earns $4.60 for every $100 tied up in the business.
$1.8B
annual revenue
This is the sales base that has to carry the debt and the losses.
Financial health
C
strength
- balance sheet grade C — very weak — significant financial distress
- risk rank 5 — safer than 5% of stocks
- price stability 10 / 100
- long-term debt $848M (81% of capital)
C — balance sheet grade and long-term debt are flagged. this stock carries more risk than average.
Total return vs. market
Return history isn't available for ALTG right now.
source: institutional data · return history unavailable
What just happened
missed estimates
Alta posted $1.3B in revenue and still lost $2.16 a share.
Revenue jumped 214% vs. prior year, but gross margin was 26.8% and EPS stayed negative. Bigger sales did not fix the loss.
$1.3B
revenue
-$2.16
eps
26.8%
gross margin
the number that mattered
The 26.8% gross margin is the number that matters. It shows the sale itself works better than the full company does.
source: company earnings report, 2026
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What could go wrong
the #1 risk is debt servicing in a thin-margin equipment dealership.
med
debt stays louder than equity
Long-term debt is $848M, or 81% of capital, against a market cap near $197M. That is a big creditor stack sitting on top of a small equity cushion.
If operating profit weakens again, refinancing flexibility and equity value both take the hit first.
med
the $180M EBITDA target turns into another promise
Management set a 2026 adjusted EBITDA midpoint of $180M. That is not a side metric. It is the operating proof the recovery case needs.
If quarterly results do not start tracking toward that figure, the deleveraging story loses credibility fast.
med
equipment sales still dominate the mix
Equipment sales are $1.1B, or 60% of revenue. That is the most cyclical part of the company, and it still outweighs the steadier service and rental streams.
If customer demand softens, revenue pressure shows up before the cost base has time to react.
med
the stable revenue mix stalls
Parts and service generated $550M and rentals added $185M. Together they matter because they are the calmer side of the business.
If that $735M combined bucket does not grow faster than equipment sales, the model stays more cyclical than the bull case wants.
$848M of debt against a $197M market cap means the downside is not abstract. The credit side of the capital structure still has more leverage over this story than the common stock does.
source: institutional data · regulatory filings · risk analysis
Pay attention to
earnings
Q1 2026 earnings
This is your first real check on whether Alta is moving toward the $180M adjusted EBITDA midpoint. Expected may 2026.
metric
debt as a share of capital
It sits at 81% now. If that figure is not moving down, your equity thesis is standing still even if revenue holds up.
risk
equipment sales demand
Equipment sales are $1.1B, or 60% of revenue. That is still the largest and most cyclical earnings driver.
trend
parts, service, and rentals mix
Parts and service at $550M plus rentals at $185M are the steadier revenue streams. You want that combined $735M bucket taking a larger share of the whole.
Analyst rankings
earnings predictability
20 / 100
This score is low. In human-speak: analysts do not have a clean line of sight on future earnings, and the latest EPS miss explains why.
consensus target setup
$11.63
The average target sits 77% above the current price. In human-speak: the street sees rebound potential, but it is underwriting a recovery that the numbers have not delivered yet.
source: institutional data
Institutional activity
institutional ownership data for ALTG is being compiled.
source: institutional data
Price targets
3-5 year target range
n/a
n/a
$7
current price
n/a
target midpoint · n/a from current
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