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Alto Ingredients, Inc. (ALTO)
NASDAQ:ALTO

Alto Ingredients (ALTO) AI Stock Analysis

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ALTO

Alto Ingredients

(NASDAQ:ALTO)

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Neutral 59 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:59Neutral
Price Target:
$2.50
▼(-3.85% Downside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:12/19/25
Alto Ingredients' stock score is primarily influenced by its financial challenges, despite positive technical indicators and promising earnings call highlights. The company's strategic initiatives and market momentum are overshadowed by its current unprofitability and cash flow issues.
Positive Factors
Strategic Initiatives
The strategic focus on tax credits and CO2 utilization enhances profitability and sustainability, aligning with long-term industry trends.
Debt Management
Effective debt reduction and strong cash flow generation improve financial flexibility and reduce interest burden, supporting long-term stability.
Renewable Fuel Export Growth
Growth in renewable fuel exports strengthens market position and aligns with global sustainability trends, driving future revenue growth.
Negative Factors
Declining Revenue
The decline in net sales indicates challenges in market demand or competitive pressures, impacting long-term revenue growth potential.
Negative Profit Margins
Sustained negative profit margins reflect operational inefficiencies, which could hinder long-term profitability and competitive positioning.
Leadership Change
Leadership changes can disrupt strategic continuity and affect investor confidence, potentially impacting long-term strategic execution.

Alto Ingredients (ALTO) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Alto Ingredients Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionAlto Ingredients, Inc. produces and markets specialty alcohols and essential ingredients in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Marketing and Distribution, Pekin Production, and Other Production. It offers specialty alcohols used in mouthwash, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and cleaners for health, home, and beauty markets; grain neutral spirits used in alcoholic beverages, flavor extracts, and vinegar, as well as corn germ used in corn oils and carbon dioxide for food and beverage markets; and essential ingredients include dried yeast, corn gluten meal, corn gluten feed, distillers grains, and liquid feed for commercial animal feed and pet food applications. The company also provides fuel-grade ethanol used as transportation fuel and distillers corn oil used as a biodiesel feedstock, as well as fuel-grade ethanol produced by third parties. In addition, it offers transportation, storage, and delivery services through third-party service providers. The company sells ethanol to integrated oil companies and gasoline marketers; essential ingredient feed products to dairies and feedlots; and corn oil to poultry and biodiesel customers. It operates five alcohol production facilities, including three plants in the Midwestern states of Illinois; and two facilities located in the Western states of Oregon and Idaho. The company was formerly known as Pacific Ethanol, Inc. and changed its name to Alto Ingredients, Inc. in January 2021. Alto Ingredients, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Pekin, Illinois.
How the Company Makes MoneyAlto Ingredients generates revenue through the production and sale of ethanol and related products, which are used in various applications including alcoholic beverages, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. The company's revenue model is primarily based on the manufacturing and distribution of these high-purity alcohol products. Key revenue streams include direct sales to beverage manufacturers, industrial clients, and partnerships with distributors. Additionally, Alto Ingredients benefits from strategic alliances with other firms in the renewable energy and agricultural sectors, providing access to raw materials and expanding its market reach. The company may also explore opportunities in co-products and by-products from its production processes, further diversifying its income sources.

Alto Ingredients Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Mar 04, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
Next Earnings Date:May 11, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call highlights a pronounced turnaround: substantial swings to positive net income and adjusted EBITDA, improved margins (crush and product returns), successful CO2 diversification and progress on 45Z credits, plus active debt reduction and a disciplined capital plan for 2026. Lowlights include lower volumes from idling a plant, derivative losses and one-time operational disruptions, incomplete 45Z eligibility for some assets, and seasonal/weather risks. Overall, the positive operational and financial progress materially outweighs the remaining challenges.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Material Improvement in Profitability
Net income (attributable to common stockholders) of $21.5M in Q4 2025, a $63.5M improvement versus Q4 2024; full-year 2025 net income of $12.1M compared to a $60.3M loss in 2024 (swing ≈ $72.4M).
Large Increase in Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA of $27.9M in Q4 2025 (vs. negative $7.7M in Q4 2024) and $44.7M for full-year 2025 (vs. negative $8.5M in 2024), representing positive swings of $35.6M and $53.2M, respectively.
Stronger Margins and Gross Profit Recovery
Q4 gross profit of $15.2M vs. a $1.4M gross loss a year ago (improvement of $16.6M); crush margin improved to $0.23/gal from $0.08/gal (+187.5%), contributing roughly $8M to the quarter.
Price Per Gallon and Export Mix Benefits
Average sales price rose to $2.10/gal from $1.88/gal (≈+11.7%), and increased renewable fuel export sales contributed about $5M in Q4 due to higher volumes and premiums.
45Z Tax Credit Progress and Expected Benefit
Qualified ~90M gallons combined annual production at Columbia and Pekin for 45Z credits; recognized $7.5M net proceeds for 2025 (≈$0.10/gal) and expect ~$0.20/gal (~$15M net) in 2026 with further upside from additional carbon-score reductions.
CO2 Diversification and Western Asset Improvement
Acquired Alto Carbonic in early 2025; contributed $1.4M to the Western Production segment in Q4 and materially improved Western Essential Ingredients return to 48% (from 30% a year ago, +18 percentage points). Consolidated return rose to 52% from 43% (+9 pts).
Stronger Cash Generation and Debt Reduction
Generated $10M cash from operations in Q4, ended year with $23M cash, paid down $16M on operating line and $5M on term debt during Q4; term loan outstanding $55M at year-end and planned further paydowns to reduce principal to ~$39M by end of Q1 2026.
Clear 2026 Capital and Operational Plan
2026 CapEx budget ≈ $25M (45% maintenance, 55% optimization), planned 8% capacity increase (~5M gallons) at Pekin Dry Mill, dock repairs and second alcohol loadout to be completed by end-2026 to improve throughput/redundancy.
Negative Updates
Lower Sales Volumes Due to Facility Idling
Net sales declined to $232M, $4M lower year-over-year, driven by a reduction in volumes sold of 10.6M gallons primarily from idling the Magic Valley facility.
Exposure to Derivative Losses and Asset Charges
Net negative combined realized and unrealized changes in derivatives of $4.2M in Q4; recorded $0.8M of asset impairment charges related to cleanup of CapEx projects in Q4 2025.
Operational Disruption from Weather and Damaged Infrastructure
Extreme cold in January 2026 curtailed Pekin production and disrupted river logistics; Pekin river loading dock sustained damage in April 2025 requiring repairs (insured), causing business interruption and one-time insurance-related accounting entries.
Some Facilities Do Not Yet Qualify for 45Z Credits
Pekin Wet Mill and ICP currently do not qualify for 45Z credits, limiting near-term upside from those assets until carbon scores or traceability improvements are implemented.
Traceability and Regulatory Uncertainty for 45Z
Feedstock traceability is not fully implemented across all bushels and will require farmer participation and potential regulatory clarity (Treasury proposal) to maximize 45Z eligibility and value.
Export Margin Compression and Market Seasonality
Although export volumes and demand increased, management noted some margin compression in high-quality export products; first quarter is seasonally challenging and sensitive to weather/logistics outages.
Company Guidance
Alto guided that for 2026 it expects to qualify roughly 90 million gallons of combined production for 45Z credits at Columbia and Pekin and, with ILUC removed from GREET, to receive about $0.20 per gallon (vs $0.10/gal recorded for 2025) totaling approximately $15 million in net proceeds; the company has contracted significant renewable fuel export volumes for H1 2026 and expects to match 2025 high‑quality alcohol volumes. Capital guidance calls for roughly $25 million of 2026 CapEx (≈45% maintenance, 55% optimization), including Pekin dock repairs and a second alcohol loadout to be completed by year‑end and a Pekin Dry Mill capacity increase of ~8% (~5 million gallons) to be implemented end Q3/Q4 (with normal Q2 outages at ICP and Columbia and a longer Pekin H2 outage); financial guidance/targets include reducing term debt from $55 million at year‑end 2025 by $10 million (Feb) and an additional $6 million (Mar) to about $39 million by end‑Q1, while operating from a year‑end cash balance of $23 million, Q4 operating cash flow of $10 million, and total borrowing availability of $102 million.

Alto Ingredients Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Alto Ingredients is facing financial challenges with declining revenues, negative profit margins, and cash flow issues. Despite a low debt-to-equity ratio, the negative return on equity and poor cash flow management highlight the need for strategic improvements.
Income Statement
45
Neutral
Alto Ingredients has faced declining revenue and profitability over the past years, with a negative revenue growth rate of -1.16% in the TTM. The gross profit margin is low at 1.94%, and the net profit margin is negative at -5.44%, indicating challenges in maintaining profitability. The EBIT and EBITDA margins are also negative, reflecting operational inefficiencies. The company needs to address these issues to improve its financial health.
Balance Sheet
55
Neutral
The balance sheet shows a relatively low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02 in the TTM, suggesting manageable leverage. However, the return on equity is negative at -23.09%, indicating that the company is not generating sufficient returns on shareholder investments. The equity ratio is not provided, but the overall stability is affected by the negative ROE.
Cash Flow
40
Negative
Cash flow analysis reveals negative operating cash flow and free cash flow in the TTM, with a significant decline in free cash flow growth. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is negative, indicating cash flow challenges. The free cash flow to net income ratio is positive, suggesting some ability to cover net losses, but overall cash flow management needs improvement.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue922.31M965.26M1.22B1.34B1.21B897.02M
Gross Profit17.88M9.72M15.65M-27.55M67.78M52.86M
EBITDA-13.31M-26.76M2.60M-12.75M74.43M30.91M
Net Income-50.18M-58.98M-28.00M-41.60M46.08M-15.12M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets388.47M401.44M454.24M478.32M484.95M476.82M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments32.52M35.47M30.01M36.46M50.61M47.67M
Total Debt119.69M114.67M105.46M87.27M63.65M108.23M
Total Liabilities166.07M176.38M174.68M170.23M139.74M180.58M
Stockholders Equity222.40M225.06M279.56M308.09M345.21M296.24M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-10.01M-14.59M-7.51M-31.70M10.44M65.10M
Operating Cash Flow-6.08M-3.52M22.02M6.05M26.82M71.68M
Investing Cash Flow-13.45M-13.47M-33.03M-37.66M27.12M23.32M
Financing Cash Flow14.18M7.72M6.96M19.01M-40.00M-66.42M

Alto Ingredients Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price2.60
Price Trends
50DMA
2.65
Negative
100DMA
2.23
Positive
200DMA
1.66
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.04
Negative
RSI
52.83
Neutral
STOCH
75.89
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For ALTO, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 2.6 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 2.55, below the 50-day MA of 2.65, and above the 200-day MA of 1.66, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.04 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 52.83 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 75.89 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for ALTO.

Alto Ingredients Risk Analysis

Alto Ingredients disclosed 25 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Alto Ingredients reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Alto Ingredients Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
78
Outperform
$1.19B11.388.89%-3.10%-22.31%
73
Outperform
$1.91B16.33-0.09%2.19%-4.49%-100.80%
61
Neutral
$10.43B7.12-0.05%2.87%2.86%-36.73%
61
Neutral
$1.13B23.103.67%3.33%5.35%-1.43%
59
Neutral
$201.09M17.77-20.64%-8.00%-35.86%
58
Neutral
$1.02B-5.45-14.87%-12.07%-821.68%
48
Neutral
$450.69M-14.33-9.27%675.75%42.00%
* Basic Materials Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
ALTO
Alto Ingredients
2.60
1.03
65.61%
GEVO
Gevo
1.91
0.66
52.80%
GPRE
Green Plains
15.18
9.28
157.29%
IOSP
Innospec
77.02
-20.39
-20.94%
REX
Rex American
37.54
18.74
99.68%
SCL
Stepan Company
49.81
-7.93
-13.74%

Alto Ingredients Corporate Events

Executive/Board Changes
Alto Ingredients Board Member Jeremy Bezdek Resigns
Neutral
Nov 26, 2025

On November 24, 2025, Jeremy T. Bezdek resigned from the Board of Directors and all related committees at Alto Ingredients, Inc., effective immediately. His resignation was not due to any disagreements with the company regarding its operations, policies, or practices.

The most recent analyst rating on (ALTO) stock is a Hold with a $2.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Alto Ingredients stock, see the ALTO Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Dec 19, 2025