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Vertiv Capitalizes on Strong AI Data Center Growth: More Upside Ahead?

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Key Takeaways

  • Vertiv's Q2 2026 net sales rose 24%, with Americas and APAC sales each climbing 29%.
  • Vertiv expanded global capacity while advancing AC, 800V DC, cooling, and fluid management solutions.
  • Vertiv expects Q3 2026 net sales of $3.65B-$3.85B as AI data center demand supports its growth.

Vertiv (VRT - Free Report) is benefiting from the explosive growth in AI-driven data centers, which is fueling robust demand for its power, thermal and infrastructure solutions. The company is benefiting from robust demand across its core markets, particularly in the Americas and APAC regions. In the second quarter of 2026, net sales increased 24% year over year, with the Americas and APAC both growing 29%. EMEA also returned to positive net sales growth. 

This broad-based demand is driven by accelerating digital transformation and the expansion of data centers, both of which require Vertiv’s advanced power and thermal management solutions. The company’s strong pipeline and accelerating sales cycles, especially among hyperscalers, enterprise and colocation customers, have underpinned this growth.

The company has rapidly expanded its global manufacturing footprint by adding new capacity in Malaysia, expanding five large plants in the Americas and increasing chiller capacity in EMEA. These investments have enabled Vertiv to deliver increasingly complex data center infrastructure solutions at scale, positioning the company as a leader in supporting next-generation AI data centers.

Vertiv’s differentiated technology portfolio is another pillar of its growth. The company is at the forefront of power architecture evolution, supporting both AC and emerging 800V DC solutions. Collaborations with industry leaders like NVIDIA and Foxconn’s VisionBay AI have resulted in landmark projects, such as Taiwan’s first AI data center featuring NVIDIA GB300 and the world’s first AI data center adopting 800V DC architectures. Vertiv’s advanced cooling and fluid management technologies, including closed-loop systems and PurgeRite NearZero, further set it apart by enabling nearly zero water consumption, a critical advantage for sustainable, high-density AI data centers.

Vertiv’s expanding AI data center footprint and manufacturing capacity signal further upside potential.  For the third quarter of 2026, Vertiv expects net sales of $3.65 billion to $3.85 billion.

VRT Suffers From Stiff Competition

Vertiv’s AI infrastructure solutions are facing increasing competition from Super Micro Computer (SMCI - Free Report) and Amphenol (APH - Free Report) . Both companies are expanding their offerings to support high-density, AI-driven data center deployments.

Super Micro Computer expanded its Data Center Building Block Solutions portfolio with 10 precision-engineered rack models designed for high-density AI data centers. Available in 44OU, 48U, 48OU, and 52U configurations, the racks feature factory pre-assembly and modular designs to accelerate deployment and reduce time-to-online. They support advanced liquid-cooling technologies and are certified for static loads exceeding 5,500 pounds. Super Micro Computer highlighted that its global manufacturing operations can produce up to 3,000 advanced racks per month, including 2,000 liquid-cooled units, thereby supporting faster deployment of scalable AI infrastructure worldwide.

Amphenol is benefiting from the surge in demand for AI infrastructure, which has become a transformative force for the company’s growth and market positioning. In the second quarter of 2026, IT datacom represented about 43% of sales and grew 63% organically year over year. This robust performance was driven by accelerating investments in AI data centers and Amphenol’s ability to capture a significant share of this unique interconnect opportunity.

Vertiv’s Share Price Performance, Valuation, and Estimates

VRT’s shares have surged 66.8% year to date compared with the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s 18.1% rise. The Zacks Computers - IT Services industry declined 15.6% over the same period.

VRT Stock Performance

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Vertiv stock is trading at a premium, with a trailing 12-month Price/Book of 21.86X compared with the Computer and Technology sector’s 10.76X. VRT has a Value Score of F.

VRT Valuation

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at $6.64 per share, which has increased 3.58% over the past 30 days. This indicates a 58.10% increase from the year-ago quarter.

Vertiv currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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