Vertiv Stock (VRT) To Open At New High as Data Center Boom Drives Beat and Raise

Vertiv Holdings stock (NYSE:VRT) jumped 18.3% to $236.15 in pre-market trading, positioning the stock to open at fresh all-time highs after the data center infrastructure provider delivered fourth-quarter results that exceeded expectations and issued fiscal 2026 guidance well above Wall Street estimates.

The move underscores growing market conviction that Vertiv remains a primary beneficiary of surging demand for AI-driven computing infrastructure.

The Columbus, Ohio-based company reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.36, beating the consensus estimate of $1.30, while revenue of $2.88 billion came in just shy of the $2.89 billion analysts had anticipated. The top-line figure represented a 23% year-over-year increase, reflecting accelerating momentum in the data center market as hyperscalers and enterprise customers race to build out capacity for artificial intelligence workloads.

More significantly, Vertiv's guidance for fiscal 2026 substantially outpaced market expectations. The company projects full-year adjusted EPS between $5.97 and $6.07, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.33, representing a potential upside of approximately 14% to Street expectations. Revenue guidance of $13.25 billion to $13.75 billion similarly exceeded the $12.39 billion consensus, suggesting Vertiv anticipates sustained double-digit growth through the coming year.

For the first quarter of 2026, Vertiv expects adjusted EPS of 95 cents to $1.01 on revenue of $2.5 billion to $2.7 billion, with adjusted operating margin projected between 18.5% and 19.5%. The margin guidance indicates the company is maintaining pricing discipline even as it scales operations to meet surging demand.

Chief Executive Officer Giordano Albertazzi emphasized the company's differentiated market position in prepared remarks, stating that significant growth in orders, sales, margins, and cash reflects Vertiv's ability to scale while maintaining operational focus. Albertazzi highlighted deep collaborations with semiconductor industry leaders and the company's technology-rich portfolio as key competitive advantages, noting that the record backlog provides clear visibility into another year of significant growth.

Executive Chairman Dave Cote framed the results as validation of years of strategic investment in technology leadership, positioning Vertiv as the partner customers turn to for solving complex infrastructure challenges. The company announced plans to strategically increase engineering, research, and development investments while expanding production capacity to capitalize on what it describes as robust momentum in the data center market, with strong pipeline growth despite significant fourth-quarter conversion of pipeline to orders.

Markets have responded enthusiastically to the print, with the pre-market surge adding to what has already been a strong run for Vertiv shares. UBS recently reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a price target of $217, citing strong demand indicators from the technology sector and potential for further growth driven by AI infrastructure spending. The firm's target now sits below Wednesday's pre-market trading level, suggesting analysts may need to revisit their models in light of the upgraded guidance.

The earnings report arrives as data center infrastructure providers continue to benefit from unprecedented capital expenditure by cloud computing giants and enterprises building out AI capabilities. Vertiv's thermal management systems, power distribution equipment, and monitoring solutions have become critical components in facilities designed to handle the intense power and cooling requirements of modern AI chips.

With the stock set to open at new highs and guidance pointing to sustained momentum through 2026, Vertiv appears positioned to maintain its leadership role in a market showing no signs of slowing, though markets will be watching closely to see whether execution matches the company's ambitious projections.