NEW YORK, Feb 13, 2026, 2:06 PM EST — Regular session
- Vertiv shares were down 0.2% in afternoon trade after a surge on upbeat 2026 guidance
- The data-center equipment maker flagged a jump in orders and a record backlog
- Investors now look to next week’s conference appearances for more detail on demand and supply
Vertiv Holdings Co shares dipped on Friday, giving back little ground after a sharp jump a day earlier sparked by a bullish 2026 outlook and a spike in data-center orders.
The stock was down about 0.2% at $236.00 in afternoon trade, after swinging between $227.43 and $239.25 earlier in the session.
The move matters because Vertiv has become a touchstone for a narrow question driving the market: whether AI-related data-center spending is still accelerating, or simply shifting around. Vertiv sells power and cooling gear used inside data centers, so its order book can read like a forward indicator.
On Wednesday, the company reported fourth-quarter results and issued 2026 guidance that leaned on what it called “robust momentum” in the data-center market, helped by AI infrastructure demand. Vertiv
Vertiv said fourth-quarter net sales rose 23% to $2.88 billion, while organic orders jumped about 252% from a year earlier. Backlog — orders booked but not yet shipped — climbed to $15.0 billion, up 109%, and the book-to-bill ratio, a measure of orders relative to sales, was about 2.9. Sec
Chief Executive Giordano Albertazzi said the quarter showed Vertiv’s “leadership position” in a more demanding data-center market, adding that a “record backlog provides clear visibility” into another growth year. Prnewswire
For 2026, Vertiv forecast net sales of $13.25 billion to $13.75 billion and adjusted diluted earnings per share of $5.97 to $6.07. Adjusted results strip out certain items the company says can distort operating trends. Vertiv
The guidance helped drive a surge in the stock on Thursday, with traders also pointing to a broad bid for data-center infrastructure names after fresh signs that big build-outs are continuing. Barrons
Still, the same release carried a reminder of what can go wrong. Vertiv said margin gains were partly offset by tariff impact, and the bigger risk for investors is that a swelling backlog proves harder to convert into revenue if supply constraints flare up or customers push out delivery schedules.
Next week brings a near-term test for sentiment. Vertiv said its chief product and technology officer and its investor relations executive will appear in fireside chats at the Citi Global Industrial Tech and Mobility Conference on Feb. 17 and the Barclays Industrial Select Conference on Feb. 18, events that often draw pointed questions on demand, pricing and capacity. Nasdaq
