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NVT Surges 53% in 3 Months: Should You Buy, Sell or Hold the Stock?

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Key Takeaways

  • NVT gained 52.9% in three months as data center and power utility demand boosted growth.
  • nVent Electric reported Q1 2026 sales up 53.3% and raised its 2026 revenue and EPS outlook.
  • NVT posted 40% organic order growth and a record $2.6 billion backlog tied to AI projects.

nVent Electric (NVT - Free Report) shares have surged 52.9% in the past three months, outperforming the Zacks Electronics - Miscellaneous Components industry’s decline of 12.1%. The stock also outperformed its industry peers, including OSI Systems (OSIS - Free Report) , Rogers (ROG - Free Report) and TE Connectivity (TEL - Free Report) . In the past three months, shares of Rogers and TE Connectivity have gained 40.5% and 2.8%, respectively, while OSI Systems shares have plunged 26.5%.

The outperformance of nVent Electric’s shares raises the question: Does it still have room to run, or is it time for investors to consider taking profits? Let’s find out.

3-Month Price Return Performance

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

What’s Behind the Rally in NVT Stock?

What’s fueling this strength is nVent Electric’s exposure to two fast-growing markets — data centers and power utilities. Companies in these two sectors are increasing their investments in electrical systems and cooling solutions, and nVent sits right in the middle of this spending wave. nVent is capitalizing on these trends through its innovative portfolio strength of AI infrastructure and liquid cooling solutions, which are aiding its overall financial performance.

In the last reported financial results for the first quarter of 2026, the company’s net sales soared 53.3% year over year to $1.24 billion and surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.9%. Similarly, adjusted earnings per share (EPS) jumped 62.7% to $1.09 per share and beat the consensus mark by 15.96%.

Considering a strong demand for its solutions and a better-than-expected first-quarter performance, nVent raised its guidance for 2026. The company now expects 2026 revenue growth in the range of 26-28%, up from its previous guidance of 15-18%. The company now expects 2026 adjusted EPS in the band of $4.45-$4.55, up from its prior guidance of $4.00-$4.15.

Data Center Demand Aids Nvent Electric's Prospects

nVent Electric is benefiting from strong demand for data center infrastructure, which is becoming a major driver of its revenue growth. In the first quarter of 2026, the company reported organic sales growth of 34%, with infrastructure sales rising nearly 80% year over year. Management said data centers were the biggest contributor to growth, helping the company deliver record sales, orders and backlog.

The company is seeing demand across both gray-space and white-space data center applications. In the gray space, growth was driven by engineered buildings, enclosures and power connections. In the white space, liquid cooling, power distribution units and cable management solutions performed well. Management noted that growth was broad-based across the portfolio and supported by demand from hyperscalers, neocloud providers, multitenant operators and distribution partners.

nVent's order trends also remain strong. Organic orders increased about 40% in the first quarter, largely driven by AI data center projects. Backlog reached a record $2.6 billion, rising in the low-double digits sequentially. The company stated that most of its backlog extends beyond 12 months and into 2027, providing visibility into future revenues. Further, in the first quarter, new products added more than 20 percentage points to sales growth, with many of those products tied to data center applications.

To support demand, nVent is increasing capacity across its operations, which should help the company generate more revenue once fully ramped up. The company recently opened its new Blaine, MN, facility and expects production to ramp through 2026. It is also investing in additional capacity for liquid cooling and other data center products.

Overall, the above-mentioned factors show that data center demand is likely to remain an important revenue growth driver for the company. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for nVent Electric’s 2026 revenues is pegged at $4.98 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 27.9%.

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nVent Electric Benefits From Strength in Power Utilities

nVent Electric is benefiting from growing investments in power utility infrastructure. In the first quarter of 2026, nVent’s power utility business posted double-digit sales growth, and the company now sees power utility become its second-largest growth opportunity after data centers. NVT's prospects are set to benefit as power utility customers continue to increase their investment to expand grid capacity as electricity demand continues to rise.

Rising power demand from AI data centers is creating an additional need for transmission and distribution infrastructure. Utility customers are upgrading and expanding their networks to support higher electricity loads. This is driving the demand for nVent’s electrical protection and connection products, such as enclosures, power distribution products and related electrical equipment, which bodes well for the company’s prospects in the upcoming quarters.

nVent is investing significantly to support this demand. nVent plans to spend approximately $130 million on capital expenditures in 2026, which is a 40% increase from the prior year. The company said a significant portion of this investment is being directed toward capacity expansion for power utility and data center projects. nVent is also expanding its engineered building solutions business, which serves utility customers.

The EPG acquisition is helping nVent increase its exposure to utility projects. Management stated EPG continues to perform above expectations and is providing additional opportunities in engineered buildings and electrical integration solutions. With double-digit utility sales growth, increased capacity investments and continued utility spending on grid expansion, power utilities are becoming a major contributor to nVent's revenue growth.

Long-Term Prospects Justify NVT’s Premium Valuation

nVent Electric is currently trading at a higher price-to-sales (P/S) multiple compared with the industry. NVT’s forward 12-month P/S ratio sits at 5.26X, higher than the industry’s forward 12-month P/S ratio of 4.86X.

NVT Forward 12-Month P/S Ratio

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

NVT stock also trades at a higher P/S multiple compared with other industry peers, including OSI Systems, Rogers and TE Connectivity. At present, OSI Systems, Rogers and TE Connectivity have P/S multiples of 1.83X, 2.97X and 2.98X, respectively.

NVT’s rally reflects investor excitement about AI-related data center demand, putting it above industry and peers in terms of valuation, reflecting the high growth expectations of the company in the long term.

Key Technical Indicator Signals Bullish Trend for NVT

nVent Electric shares are trading above their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, a bullish technical signal that indicates the potential for continued upward momentum in the near term.

NVT 50-Day & 200-Day Simple Moving Averages

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Conclusion: Buy nVent Electric Stock Right Now

nVent Electric is seeing steady demand from data centers and power utilities, which is helping drive strong orders and a growing backlog. Moreover, the company is expanding capacity to support future demand. These factors support the outlook for continued growth. Further, the stock’s valuation reflects high growth expectations from the company, which is set to benefit from strong long-term demand from AI-related data center projects.

Currently, nVent Electric sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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