BUZZ-Generac climbs as Helene wreaks havoc in U.S. southeast

** Shares of Generac Holdings GNRC.N up 3% to $156.77 on Fri, highest since Aug 30, as Tropical Storm Helene causes chaos in southeastern U.S.

** Helene, which hit Florida on Thurs as powerful Category 4 hurricane, brought death and destruction, leaving more than 4 mln homes and business without power

** GNRC has risen 4 of past 5 sessions and now up 10.6% on the week, tracking best such showing since Nov 2023

** Generac's stock tends to rise ahead of major storms as investors bet on increased demand for its backup generators

** In Jul, Generac lifted its annual sales growth forecast, banking on strong demand for its generators in aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, which hit Texas earlier that month

** Avg rating among 27 analysts on GNRC is "buy" with median PT of $161.50, up from $144.50 on Jun 27, per LSEG data

** With move on Fri, stock up ~21% YTD vs S&P 500 Industrials sector's .SPLRCI 19% advance

(Lance Tupper is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

((lance.tupper@thomsonreuters.com
lance.tupper@tr.com 1-646-279-6380))