New York, Feb 11, 2026, 07:44 EST
- Vertiv reported a 23% jump in fourth-quarter net sales, hitting $2.88 billion, driven by a surge in organic orders of roughly 252%.
- Backlog rose to $15.0 billion, with the company projecting net sales between $13.25 billion and $13.75 billion for 2026.
- TipRanks data revealed that options markets were anticipating about a 9% swing tied to the results.
Vertiv Holdings Co predicted another fast-paced year of growth Wednesday, following a spike in fourth-quarter orders driven by data-center demand. Despite the upbeat forecast, shares slipped roughly 1.2% ahead of the U.S. market open.
This update arrives amid a volatile market. Investors have been chasing “AI infrastructure” as a hot theme, while Vertiv deals in the less flashy essentials—power and cooling equipment that data centers rely on to stay operational.
Orders and backlog are especially crucial right now—they offer a glimpse into future spending by hyperscalers (major cloud operators) and colocation companies that lease data-center space. A sharp shift either way can quickly shift the market sentiment.
Vertiv reported a 23% increase in fourth-quarter net sales, reaching $2.88 billion. Diluted earnings per share climbed to $1.14, up from $0.38 the previous year. Adjusted diluted EPS, which excludes certain items, rose to $1.36 from $0.99. Organic orders—excluding currency and deal impacts—soared roughly 252%, driving backlog to $15.0 billion and pushing the quarter’s book-to-bill ratio to about 2.9. Looking ahead to 2026, Vertiv expects net sales between $13.25 billion and $13.75 billion, with adjusted diluted EPS forecasted at $5.97 to $6.07. For the first quarter, the company projects net sales of $2.5 billion to $2.7 billion and adjusted diluted EPS from $0.95 to $1.01. 1
Margins widened as well. Vertiv reported an adjusted operating margin of 23.2%, rising 1.7 percentage points compared to last year. The boost came from increased volume, better productivity, and pricing gains, though tariffs weighed on the results.
Chief executive Giordano Albertazzi highlighted the quarter as proof of Vertiv’s “leadership position” amid a tougher data-center market, citing a record backlog that offers “clear visibility” through 2026. Executive chairman Dave Cote linked the strong results to ongoing investments in new technology and acquisitions.
Before the report, options traders were pricing in a 9.41% swing in either direction, according to TipRanks—well above Vertiv’s typical post-earnings move of 5.31% over the last four quarters. Evercore’s Amit Daryanani stuck with a Buy rating, while Barclays’ Julian Mitchell admitted he hasn’t been a big “cheerleader” for the data-center capex theme but viewed the recent price swings as a buying opportunity. 2
Vertiv shares slipped 1.2% Tuesday, closing at $199.50, with MarketBeat noting volume topped the recent average. Their data also highlighted that most analysts’ price targets were below the current share price, signaling valuation concerns are in play. 3
Vertiv competes with well-funded giants like Eaton and Schneider Electric in the data-center power and cooling space. The benefit? All players ride the wave of the same infrastructure boom. The catch: it quickly becomes a crowded field once capital floods in.
Risks hide in the finer points. Tariffs—essentially import duties—could tighten margins, and TipRanks pointed out challenges in Vertiv’s EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa), where power constraints and regulations have slowed growth. A drop in data-center builds would put the pace of converting booming orders into actual shipped revenue under strain.
Vertiv reported that the data-center market continues to display “robust momentum” despite a strong fourth-quarter surge in orders. The company plans to boost spending on ER&D—engineering, research, and development—and increase its production capacity.
Management will review the results during a conference call set for 11 a.m. Eastern on Feb. 11. Investors are eager to gauge the backlog’s strength and what it signals for deliveries extending into 2026.
