Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on ALTO. Zacks Research cut Alto Ingredients from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Alto Ingredients in a report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Alto Ingredients currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Alto Ingredients Stock Up 9.2%

Shares of ALTO stock opened at $4.39 on Friday. Alto Ingredients has a 1 year low of $0.76 and a 1 year high of $4.53. The stock has a market cap of $339.52 million, a PE ratio of 27.44 and a beta of 0.60. The business’s fifty day moving average is $2.68 and its 200-day moving average is $1.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 2.30 and a current ratio of 3.56.

Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.02 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $231.97 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $234.83 million. Alto Ingredients had a net margin of 1.45% and a return on equity of 3.10%. Equities analysts expect that Alto Ingredients will post -0.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alto Ingredients

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new stake in shares of Alto Ingredients during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,324,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Alto Ingredients by 169.4% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 715,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,060,000 after acquiring an additional 449,697 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in Alto Ingredients by 2,967.5% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 369,513 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,064,000 after acquiring an additional 357,467 shares in the last quarter. Truffle Hound Capital LLC purchased a new position in Alto Ingredients during the 4th quarter worth $864,000. Finally, Corsair Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Alto Ingredients in the 4th quarter worth $721,000. 42.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Alto Ingredients News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Alto Ingredients this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Blowout Q4 results and rally — Alto reported a surprise profitable quarter (better-than-expected EPS) that sparked a multi-day rally and pushed shares to a new 52-week high, driving heavy volume and momentum. Alto Ingredients Stock Hits New 52-Week High: What’s Driving The Rally?
• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q4 detail: management cited improved crush margins, higher‑margin exports, lower operating costs, and recognition of clean-fuel production tax credits—factors that supported the upside and the bullish outlook. Alto Ingredients: Buy On Strong Quarter And Multiple Tailwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and model upgrades — HC Wainwright raised FY2026 estimates (now projecting positive EPS for FY2026 and FY2027), providing fresh buy-side research supporting the rally. MarketBeat ALTO Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options flow — traders purchased ~18,207 call options in a single day, signaling aggressive speculative/bullish positioning that can amplify upside.
• Positive Sentiment: Tax-credit and structural tailwinds — management outlined a ~$15M target for 45Z tax credits amid expanded CO2 operations and cost cuts, which materially improves forward profitability if realized. Alto Ingredients outlines $15M 45Z tax credit target for 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and momentum coverage — ALTO made Zacks’ Rank #1 momentum list, which can attract short-term traders but does not by itself change fundamentals. Best Momentum Stock to Buy for March 6th
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data looks odd — recent prints show zero short interest / NaN changes (likely a reporting glitch); this ambiguous data point shouldn’t be over‑interpreted.
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term seasonality and operational risk — management noted Q1 may be pressured by seasonality and weather-related downtime, so short-term results could revert from Q4 strength. Alto Ingredients: Buy On Strong Quarter And Multiple Tailwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Broader analyst consensus still lagging — some consensus models previously showed FY2026 losses; while a few analysts have raised forecasts, the market will watch whether upgrades are sustained. MarketBeat ALTO Coverage

Alto Ingredients Company Profile

Alto Ingredients, Inc (NASDAQ: ALTO) is a diversified producer of alcohol-based products and specialty ingredients for industrial, food, beverage and personal care applications. The company’s core offering centers on ethanol produced for fuel markets, as well as an expanding portfolio of natural and organic alcohols, glycerin and other ingredient solutions. Alto’s product lines serve a range of end markets, including renewable fuels, confectionery, flavorings, cosmetics and sanitizers.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Alto Ingredients operates a network of production facilities across the United States.