Generac Holdings Inc., based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, designs, manufactures, and sells power generation equipment, energy storage systems, and other power products for the residential, light commercial, and industrial markets. The company has approximately 5,400 employees, and its shares are a component of the S&P 500.

Many brokerage firms that serve retail and institutional clients maintain data to measure investment sentiment. This can be very valuable when evaluating how the small investor, or even the corporate giants, are feeling about the stock market - and, more importantly, what are they doing with their funds. Charles Schwab is one of those firms, with its Schwab Trading Activity Index, or STAX. STAX is a proprietary, behavior-based index designed to indicate the sentiment of retail investors and has been incorporating data since January 2019. In April, STAX fell to 41.2, down 15% from 48.4 in March and the lowest headline reading since April 2023. The STAX fell every week of the April period, though the first week saw the heaviest selling as STAX fell 11%, the biggest weekly drop since the first week of April 2023. The third week of the four saw only mild net-selling, but selling accelerated again in the final week (ended April 25). On a monthly basis, April's overall STAX plunge of 14.9% was the deepest drop since March 2020, the first full month of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is just another example of what we have been talking about for weeks, namely the similarity between 2025's correction and the pandemic correction. The current STAX reading is closing in on the low level of 37.2 at the end of 2022, right after that bear market bottomed. During the 2023/2024 market advance, the index never got out of neutral territory, peaking at 55.

Generac designs and manufactures power generation equipment serving residential, commercial, and industrial markets. It offers standby generators, portable generators, lighting, outdoor power equipment, and a suite of clean energy products. Sales generated in the United States account for the majority of total sales.

Generac designs and manufactures power generation equipment serving residential, commercial, and industrial markets. It offers standby generators, portable generators, lighting, outdoor power equipment, and a suite of clean energy products. Sales generated in the United States account for the majority of total sales.