NEW YORK, March 9, 2026, 09:59 EDT
Vertiv Holdings jumped 5.1% to $254.12 by 9:43 a.m. EDT after S&P Dow Jones Indices announced the data-center power and cooling company is headed for the S&P 500. 1
The S&P 500 holds outsize influence as the primary benchmark for big U.S. stocks, with trillions stacked up in index and ETF assets tracking its moves. When the index reshuffles, funds tracking it typically snap up shares of the new additions, which tends to boost both demand and liquidity. 1
Vertiv is set to join the S&P 500, along with Lumentum, Coherent, and EchoStar. On the way out: Match Group, Molina Healthcare, Lamb Weston, and Paycom Software. The shuffle kicks in before the open on March 23. 2
Stocks managed to rise, bucking a nervous mood across markets. Oil hovered just below $120 as the Iran war rattled traders before the open, setting up expectations for a rougher session. Lumentum and Coherent, both new additions, also saw gains right out of the gate. 3
Vertiv’s momentum follows a standout February earnings release. The Columbus, Ohio firm reported fourth-quarter sales up 23% to $2.88 billion, orders soared 252%, and the backlog climbed to $15 billion in unfilled demand. Looking ahead, Vertiv projected 2026 sales between $13.25 billion and $13.75 billion, with adjusted EPS of $5.97 to $6.07. “These results confirm Vertiv’s leadership position in an increasingly complex and demanding data center market,” CEO Giordano Albertazzi said. 4
Last week, Vertiv wrapped up a $2.1 billion bond sale and secured a fresh $2.5 billion revolving credit facility—this coming on the heels of Moody’s and S&P each moving its debt rating up by a notch back in February. CEO Albertazzi called the refinancing a move to “bolster the Company’s liquidity” and free up funds for growth. 5
Investors continue to track shifts in the cooling sector as AI expansion picks up speed. Back in January, shares of Vertiv, nVent Electric, Johnson Controls and Trane reacted after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang flagged that an upcoming chip platform might significantly reduce certain cooling requirements. Barclays’ Julian Mitchell and his team called Huang’s comments “rather dramatic at first glance,” but cautioned against brushing them off. 6
Vertiv shares popped almost 6% in after-hours trading Friday after the S&P move came through, according to Reuters. With Monday’s gains, buyers appear to be jockeying for position before the March 23 rebalance, despite rising energy costs weighing on the broader market. 1
