Vertiv's third-quarter adjusted earnings topped Wall Street expectations by 21%, supported by stronger profitability and cash generation.
- Vertiv’s adjusted operating profit surged 83% to $1.09 billion, with margins expanding to 25.2%.
- Organic orders more than doubled year-over-year, while adjusted free cash flow increased 50% to $652 million.
- The company expects fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.22 to $2.28, above the $2.21 analyst consensus.
Vertiv Holdings Co. (VRT) shares surged around 16% on Wednesday as CEO Giordano Albertazzi highlighted accelerating demand for data center infrastructure amid what he described as the “largest infrastructure buildout”.
The comments came as Vertiv reported a 61% year-over-year increase in fiscal third-quarter (Q3) revenue to $4.31 billion, nearly 15% above Koyfin's estimate of $3.76 billion.
The critical digital infrastructure firm reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.21, up 78% year-over-year and beating Koyfin's consensus estimate of $1.82. Vertiv also raised its full-year 2026 guidance across key financial metrics.
At the time of this writing, VRT Stock was trading more than 15% higher in the premarket session.
Vertiv CEO Highlights Accelerating Infrastructure Buildout
"We are in the middle of the largest infrastructure buildout, and it's accelerating," Albertazzi said. He added that demands on data center infrastructure are evolving rapidly and that Vertiv's role in the buildout continues to expand.
Albertazzi said the company is shortening product development cycles from years to months, expanding capacity and improving productivity.
Executive Chairman Dave Cote also expressed confidence in the company's growth opportunities, saying, "I believe there is a long runway ahead and the opportunity only gets bigger from here."
Vertiv Sees Strong Order Growth, Projects Solid Q4 Results
Vertiv's adjusted operating profit increased 83% to $1.09 billion, while adjusted operating margin expanded 290 basis points to 25.2%. The company reported adjusted free cash flow of $652 million, up 50% from a year earlier.
Vertiv's organic orders grew more than 100% year-over-year in the third quarter, reflecting the strong demand highlighted by management. The company also reported 55% organic sales growth during the period.
For the fourth quarter, Vertiv expects adjusted EPS of $2.22 to $2.28, compared with the analyst consensus of $2.21. The company also forecasts revenue between $4.31 billion and $4.51 billion, against the $4.31 billion estimate.
Vertiv Raises Guidance on Strong Demand
Vertiv raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS forecast to $7.10 to $7.20, up from its previous outlook of $6.65 to $6.75. The company also raised its revenue guidance to $14.45 billion to $14.85 billion, up from its earlier projection of $13.8 billion to $14.2 billion.
Vertiv attributed the higher guidance to strong demand visibility, ongoing capacity investments and disciplined execution. The company raised the midpoint of its annual revenue forecast by $650 million, citing broad-based global demand for data center infrastructure.
Executive Chairman Dave Cote highlighted the company's continued investment in technology and capacity, saying, "We keep investing, we keep building, and what we have built is designed to scale."
What Retail Thinks About VRT Stock
On Stocktwits, retail investors’ sentiment around VRT stock flipped to ‘extremely bullish’ territory amid high message volume.
So far this year, VRT stock has rallied nearly 19%. By comparison, the State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI), which holds the stock, has risen over 6% over the same period.
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