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Barclays cautious on Vertiv stock after 160% YTD rally and premium valuation

EditorEmilio Ghigini
Published 12/12/2024, 03:22 AM
VRT
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On Thursday, Barclays (LON:BARC) initiated coverage on Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:NYSE:VRT) stock with an Equal Weight rating and a price target of $142. Vertiv, known for its high exposure to the datacenter industry, is expected to outperform the market index (MI) average in terms of growth over the coming years.

This outlook aligns with the optimistic view of the datacenter sector presented in Barclays' 2025 Outlook report. According to InvestingPro data, analysts maintain a strong bullish consensus on the stock, with a high price target of $161.

The firm acknowledges that Vertiv's growth prospects are already reflected in its current share price and valuation. The stock has seen a significant increase this year, rising by 160% year-to-date, outpacing the S&P 500's 27% gain. Consequently, Vertiv's valuation is now on par with industry peers like Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), trading at a premium when considering 2025 estimated price-to-earnings (P/E) and price-to-free cash flow (P/FCF) ratios.

Barclays anticipates that Vertiv's positive earnings per share (EPS) estimate revisions will persist. The firm's EPS estimates for Vertiv are 3% higher than the consensus for both 2025 and 2026. The adjusted EPS for Vertiv is projected to grow from approximately $2 and $3 in 2023 and 2024, respectively, to around $4, $5, and $6 in the subsequent three years.

In terms of sales, Barclays projects an organic growth rate of 16% for Vertiv over 2025-2026, which starkly contrasts with the market index's average growth forecast of 4%. This robust growth trajectory emphasizes Vertiv's strong position in the market and its potential to continue expanding at an accelerated pace.

In other recent news, Vertiv Holdings Co. has seen several positive developments. The company reported an upward revision in its organic growth compound annual growth rate (CAGR), expecting 12-14% over the period from 2024 to 2029. Vertiv also anticipates approximately $14.4 billion in sales by 2029.

Additionally, the company increased its margin target for 2029 to about 25%. Vertiv's financial framework suggests incremental margins of 32-33%, and the company plans to increase its annual investment forecast by $75 million.

Vertiv has also been the focus of several analyst firms. Wolfe Research maintained an Outperform rating on the company's stock and increased the price target to $149.00. Oppenheimer also maintained an Outperform rating and raised its price target to $131.00.

Mizuho (NYSE:MFG) Securities increased its price target for Vertiv to $145 and maintained an Outperform rating. UBS began coverage of Vertiv, forecasting a 20% compounded annual growth in earnings per share (EPS) from 2024 to 2028.

In addition, Vertiv announced the promotion of Scott Armul to executive vice president, global portfolio, and business units. The company also revealed plans to expand its liquid cooling capacity by 45 times by the end of 2023 and announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA to co-develop power and cooling solutions. These are all recent developments that may influence Vertiv's future performance.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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