New York, Feb 17, 2026, 2:49 PM EST — Regular session
- Vertiv shares climbed roughly 4% in afternoon action, tacking on more gains after last week’s post-earnings jump.
- Bank of America bumped its price target higher, giving another jolt to brokers busy re-rating AI infrastructure stocks.
- Investors want to see if orders remain strong, and just how much of that demand has already been brought forward.
Vertiv Holdings Co got a lift Tuesday, its shares rising after Bank of America bumped up its price target, fueling further momentum for the data-center equipment maker.
This shift is notable as Vertiv has turned into a high-beta stand-in for the AI expansion story. With major data-center construction ramping up, investors are pouring into “picks-and-shovels” suppliers focused on power and cooling infrastructure.
Vertiv’s order boom raises questions—are these levels here to stay, or just a blip as buyers scramble to secure slots during supply chain crunches and rapid-fire design shifts?
Vertiv shares climbed roughly 4.4% to $244.86 as of 2:49 p.m. EST. The stock’s intraday range ran from $230.15 up to $245.27.
Bank of America bumped its price target on the shares to $277, up from $250, and maintained a “Buy” rating, according to TheFly. Price targets reflect what analysts think a stock might reach over the next year, but they’re not promises. (TipRanks)
Vertiv just posted a quarterly surge: orders soared roughly 252% year over year, with backlog swelling to $15.0 billion. “Complex and demanding”—that’s how Chief Executive Giordano Albertazzi characterizes the current data-center landscape, underscoring Vertiv’s positioning. Executive Chairman Dave Cote, meanwhile, is looking ahead to 2026, citing “technology leadership” as a differentiator. (Vertiv Holdings)
Credit investors haven’t missed this. S&P Global Ratings bumped Vertiv up to investment-grade “BBB-” last week, marking a move out of “junk” territory and into a lower-risk category. Still, the ratings firm pointed out Vertiv’s big reliance on data centers could become a problem if spending there takes a hit. (Investing)
But that same quick pace can easily work against the stock. If it turns out some of those “large orders” just arrived early, or if there’s a whiff that customer buildouts are lagging, traders could bail on Tuesday’s rally just as fast.
Vertiv’s management plans to address market trends and strategic initiatives at the upcoming investor conference, scheduled for May 19-20 in Greenville, South Carolina. That’s the next key event for updates on demand and the order pipeline. (Vertiv Holdings)
