NEW YORK, Feb 13, 2026, 2:06 PM EST — Regular session
- Vertiv slipped 0.2% in the afternoon, giving back some ground after its rally on strong 2026 guidance.
- The data-center equipment maker reported surging orders and said its backlog hit an all-time high
- Next week’s conference appearances are now in focus, with investors seeking fresh insight into demand and supply.
Vertiv Holdings Co shares slipped Friday, retreating only slightly after Thursday’s surge driven by a strong 2026 forecast and a jump in data-center orders.
The stock slipped roughly 0.2% to $236.00 in afternoon trading, after bouncing between $227.43 and $239.25 earlier on.
Vertiv’s role has turned into a kind of litmus test for a specific issue gripping the market: is AI-driven data-center spending ramping up further, or just rotating from place to place? The company’s power and cooling equipment fills data centers, making its order book something of an early signal.
The company posted its fourth-quarter numbers Wednesday and laid out 2026 guidance, highlighting what it described as “robust momentum” in the data-center space, fueled by AI infrastructure demand. Vertiv
Vertiv posted a 23% gain in fourth-quarter net sales, reaching $2.88 billion. Organic orders shot up roughly 252% year over year. Backlog swelled to $15.0 billion, a 109% increase, while the book-to-bill ratio landed at about 2.9.
Vertiv’s quarter underscored its “leadership position” in an increasingly competitive data-center landscape, Chief Executive Giordano Albertazzi said. He pointed to a “record backlog” as giving the company “clear visibility” into what he called another growth year. Prnewswire
Vertiv is projecting net sales between $13.25 billion and $13.75 billion in 2026, with adjusted diluted EPS expected to come in between $5.97 and $6.07. The company excludes certain items from its adjusted results, saying those can skew how their operations look.
The guidance sent the stock sharply higher Thursday. Traders also noted renewed interest in data-center infrastructure shares following more evidence that large-scale build-outs are still underway.
But the release didn’t shy away from potential trouble. Vertiv flagged that margin improvements took a hit from tariffs. The real concern for investors, though: if supply snags return or delivery dates get pushed back by customers, that growing backlog could turn out tougher to turn into revenue.
Sentiment faces a quick check next week. Vertiv’s chief product and technology officer, along with its investor relations lead, are slated for fireside chats at the Citi Global Industrial Tech and Mobility Conference on Feb. 17, then at the Barclays Industrial Select Conference the following day. Both events tend to feature sharp questions on topics like demand, pricing, and capacity.
