Vertiv drops after offering uninspiring Q2 guidance, overshadowing solid Q1 beat

Shares of Vertiv Holdings dropped as much as ~6% in early trading on Wednesday after the data center equipment maker’s better-than-expected Q1 numbers were overshadowed by uninspiring guidance.

For the quarter ended March 31, 2026, Vertiv reported:  

• Q1 adjusted earnings per share of $1.17 vs. the $1.00 consensus expectation from analysts surveyed by FactSet.

• Sales of $2.65 billion vs. the $2.64 billion expectation (compiled by FactSet).

For Q2, Vertiv expects adjusted earnings per share of between $1.37 and $1.43, coming in below the $1.43 consensus estimate at its midpoint. It guided for net sales of $3.25 billion to $3.45 billion in Q2, compared to Wall Street’s call for $3.40 billion.

Vertiv, which listed in February 2020 as a result of GS Acquisition Holdings Corp., a so-called blank check company, merging with private equity-owned Vertiv Holdings, has soared over 300% over the last year through Tuesday’s close, as investors have rushed to snap up shares of companies poised to collect some of the hundreds of billions of dollars in spending that the hyperscalers are pouring into the data center build-out.