New York, February 18, 2026, 12:23 EST — Regular session
- Vertiv stock picked up roughly 1% by midday as executives detailed their product lineup and capacity moves linked to AI data centers.
- Management pointed to some short-term inefficiencies tied to the added capacity, though they stuck by their margin targets.
- Investors are eyeing how quickly Vertiv moves its record backlog into actual revenue, all while holding the line on pricing.
Vertiv Holdings Co climbed roughly 1% Wednesday, trading close to $246. The stock briefly topped $253 earlier in the day before pulling back, with the data-center power and cooling supplier catching a morning bid.
Vertiv’s stock has turned into a high-beta stand-in for AI data center bets, so the stakes have shifted. Investors are sifting through choppy order books, trying to spot real demand. After such a sharp rally, there’s not much margin for operational mistakes.
Just last week, Vertiv reported a sharp jump in orders, with its backlog swelling to $15.0 billion—more than double the level from a year ago, up 109%. Chief executive Giordano Albertazzi described the backlog as providing “clear visibility” for another year of growth. Looking ahead, the company projected 2026 adjusted earnings per share would land between $5.97 and $6.07. (Vertiv Investors)
At the Barclays Industrial Select Conference on Wednesday, Vertiv CFO Craig Chamberlin told attendees the company is still targeting a first-quarter margin of 28%, and holding to a 29% goal for the full year, though he flagged “inefficiencies” as new capacity ramps up. CTO Scott Armul pointed to Vertiv’s investments in liquid cooling and “higher voltage DC” — direct current — technologies, saying these moves address both power delivery and heat issues as rack densities head toward 600 kilowatts or more. (Investing)
Peers offered no clear read. Nvidia, at the heart of AI’s hardware push, gained roughly 2%. On the other hand, stocks in cooling and electrical tied to data-center budgets moved both ways.
There’s a lot packed into the terminology here. Higher-voltage DC setups let operators push more power through a data hall without adding heft, which explains why executives are so focused on busbars—the metal conductors delivering electricity across racks of gear.
The bear case isn’t hard to sketch out: ramping up capacity has a way of squeezing margins, and if hyperscalers hit the brakes on their buildouts, that would likely hit orders fast. Vertiv executives themselves noted some early-quarter turbulence tied to expansions—exactly the sort of hiccup that can rattle a stock expecting flawless execution.
Traders are watching to see if the backlog actually turns into revenue as planned—and if pricing stays firm, with more rivals now targeting liquid cooling.
Vertiv’s next significant event lands with its investor conference, set for May 19-20 in Greenville, South Carolina. Management is slated to brief investors on everything from strategy to market trends and what’s next in the product lineup. (Vertiv Investors)
