Vertiv (VRT) Stock Hits Record High on AI Data Center Demand

TLDR

• Vertiv reported Q1 2026 revenue of $2.65 billion, up 30.1% year-over-year, beating estimates
• Adjusted EPS came in at $1.17, crushing the $1.00 consensus by $0.17
• VRT stock is up 115% year-to-date, opening at $340.02 and near its 52-week high of $359.84
• 21 of 26 analysts rate VRT a Buy, though the average price target of $281.29 sits below the current price
• Vertiv raised full-year EPS guidance to $6.30–$6.40 and set Q2 guidance at $1.37–$1.43

Vertiv (VRT) stock is trading near all-time highs after a blowout first quarter, powered by surging demand for AI data center infrastructure.

Vertiv Holdings Co, VRT

The company reported Q1 2026 revenue of $2.65 billion, up 30.1% from the same period last year. That beat analyst expectations of $2.63 billion. Organic growth came in at 23%.

Adjusted EPS hit $1.17, compared to the $1.00 Wall Street had penciled in. That’s an 83% jump from the $0.64 EPS posted in Q1 2025.

VRT opened at $340.02 on Friday, just below its 52-week high of $359.84. The stock is up 115% year-to-date, making it one of the stronger performers in the AI infrastructure space.

Adjusted operating margin reached 20.8%, showing the company can grow revenue and hold profitability at the same time.

AI Demand Driving the Numbers

Customers are shifting from small AI pilots to full-scale deployments. That means more need for Vertiv’s power and cooling systems, particularly liquid cooling for high-density servers.

The company has been expanding manufacturing capacity and adding engineering resources to meet that demand. It also recently brought in a new Chief Procurement Officer to tighten up supply chain management.

Vertiv strengthened its liquid-cooling expertise through acquisitions as well, a direct response to the growing complexity of AI server environments.

Vertiv raised its full-year 2026 EPS guidance to $6.30–$6.40. Q2 guidance was set at $1.37–$1.43. Sell-side analysts, as a group, expect $6.42 EPS for the full year.

The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.0625 per share in March, representing a $0.25 annualized payout and a yield of 0.1%.

Analysts Bullish, But Valuation Is a Talking Point

Wall Street is largely on board. Of 26 analysts covering the stock, 21 have a Buy rating and four have a Hold. One has a Sell.

Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $285 to $350 with an Overweight rating after the earnings print. Royal Bank of Canada went from $344 to $356, also Outperform. Goldman Sachs moved its target to $311 with a Buy.

Jefferies held its Hold rating but trimmed its target from $280 to $260.

The average price target across analysts sits at $281.29 — well below where VRT is currently trading. The stock trades at roughly 51 times forward 2026 earnings, and 85 times trailing earnings.

Institutional Interest Remains High

Institutional investors own about 90% of VRT. Sequoia Financial Advisors increased its stake by 27.2% in Q4, adding 3,708 shares to bring its total to 17,355.

Insiders, however, have been selling. EVP Anders Karlborg sold 30,487 shares in late February at an average of $246.92. Director Jan Van Dokkum sold 38,647 shares at $254.87. In total, insiders sold nearly 490,000 shares worth over $123 million in the last quarter.

Vertiv’s market cap sits at $130.61 billion. The 50-day moving average is $280.39 and the 200-day is $217.77.

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