Market Overview - The U.S. equity markets have experienced significant volatility, reaching record highs due to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's hints at rate cuts, but also declining sharply due to concerns over NVIDIA's upcoming earnings release [1] - President Trump's actions, including threats to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, have contributed to market uncertainty, potentially leading to a legal battle that could escalate to the Supreme Court [1] Momentum Investing Strategy - Investors are increasingly turning to momentum stocks, such as Vertiv Holdings Co (VRT), MasTec, Inc. (MTZ), and Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD), as a strategy to achieve sustained profits when traditional value or growth investing does not yield desired results [2] - Momentum investing is based on the principle of "buying high and selling higher," capitalizing on established trends that are likely to continue due to existing momentum [3] Screening Parameters for Momentum Stocks - The strategy involves selecting the top 50 stocks with the best percentage price change over the last 52 weeks to identify those that have appreciated steadily [5] - From these, the 10 worst performers over the past week are chosen to identify stocks that have experienced a short-term pullback [6] - Stocks with a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) are included, as they have a proven history of outperformance [6] - A Momentum Style Score of B or better is required, indicating favorable timing for investment [7] - Stocks must have a current price greater than $5 and be among the top 3000 by market capitalization to ensure stability [8] Selected Stocks - Vertiv has seen a price increase of 60.2% over the past year but has declined by 7.9% in the last week, with a Momentum Score of B [9] - MasTec's stock has risen by 59.7% in the past year, with a slight decrease of 0.7% in the last week, also holding a Momentum Score of B [10] - Robinhood Markets has surged by 415% over the past year but has fallen by 6.2% in the last week, boasting a Momentum Score of A [11]

Core Insights - Vertiv Holdings Co, a leader in critical digital infrastructure, is participating in two investor conferences in September 2025 [1][2] - The CEO Giordano Albertazzi and CFO David Fallon will engage in fireside chats at both conferences [1][2] Group 1: Upcoming Events - The first event is the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference on September 9, 2025, at 8:10 a.m. Pacific time [1] - The second event is Morgan Stanley's 13th Annual Laguna Conference on September 10, 2025, at 9:15 a.m. Pacific time [2] - Live webcasts and related presentation materials will be available on Vertiv's Investor Relations website [2] Group 2: Company Overview - Vertiv integrates hardware, software, analytics, and services to support critical applications for data centers and communication networks [3] - The company operates in over 130 countries, providing solutions for power, cooling, and IT infrastructure [3] - Vertiv's offerings are designed to address challenges in data centers and commercial facilities, enhancing operational performance [3]

Core Insights - Vertiv Holdings Co has successfully completed the acquisition of Great Lakes Data Racks & Cabinets for approximately $200 million, enhancing its leadership in high-density integrated infrastructure solutions for data centers and critical digital environments [1][2]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - The acquisition expands Vertiv's portfolio in rack, cabinet, and integration solutions specifically for white space applications [1][2]. - Great Lakes, established in 1985 and headquartered in Edinboro, PA, operates manufacturing and assembly facilities in the U.S. and Europe, offering a range of products including standard and custom racks, integrated cabinets, and enhanced cable management options [3]. Group 2: Strategic Benefits - The integration of Great Lakes' expertise is expected to streamline infrastructure sourcing, enable faster deployment through pre-engineered solutions, and enhance operational efficiency with factory integration of Vertiv's power and cooling solutions [2]. - The acquisition will improve scalability for AI and edge computing applications and provide comprehensive support through Vertiv's global service network [2]. Group 3: Company Overview - Vertiv provides critical digital infrastructure solutions, combining hardware, software, analytics, and ongoing services to support vital applications across data centers, communication networks, and commercial facilities [5]. - The company operates in over 130 countries, addressing challenges in power, cooling, and IT infrastructure from the cloud to the edge of the network [5].

Core Viewpoint - The increasing demand for artificial intelligence is driving significant investment in data centers, benefiting companies like Vertiv, which has seen its stock rise by 84% since March [1]. Group 1: Company Performance - Vertiv's sales guidance for 2025 has shown a consistent upward trend, with an increase from $9.125 million in February to $9.925 million in July, representing an 8.7% increase [4]. - The adjusted operating profit guidance has also increased, but at a slower rate, from $1.910 million in February to $2.030 million in July, reflecting a 2.8% increase [4]. - Free cash flow guidance has improved from $1.275 million in February to $1.375 million in July, marking a 7.7% increase [4]. Group 2: Market Dynamics - The growth in the data center market is primarily driven by the rising demand for artificial intelligence applications, indicating a multi-year expansion in data center spending [6]. - Vertiv is positioned to benefit from this trend, particularly through its collaboration with Nvidia in developing power systems for next-generation data centers [6]. Group 3: Future Outlook - Provided that the tariff environment remains stable, future orders and revenue increases for Vertiv are expected to lead to significant profit and cash flow growth [5]. - The company is in the early stages of capitalizing on the expanding data center market, suggesting that it is not too late for investment opportunities [7].

Core Insights - Investors are encouraged to focus on companies that generate strong returns after covering all expenses, emphasizing the importance of profitability over loss-making firms [1] - NVIDIA, Vertiv, and Mastercard are highlighted as top investment picks for the year due to their high net income ratios [2] Profitability Metrics - The net income ratio is a key indicator of a company's profitability, representing the percentage of net income relative to total sales revenues, with a higher ratio indicating better revenue generation and expense management [3] - Additional screening parameters include Zacks Rank, trailing 12-month sales and net income growth, and a strong buy percentage rating, which help identify potential winning stocks [4][5] Company Profiles - **NVIDIA**: Engages in graphics, computing, and networking solutions globally, with a 12-month net profit margin of 51.7% and a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [5] - **Vertiv**: Provides infrastructure technologies for data centers, achieving a 12-month net profit margin of 8.9% and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [6] - **Mastercard**: Offers global payment processing services, with a 12-month net profit margin of 44.9% and a Zacks Rank of 2 [7]

Core Industry Insights - Applied Digital (APLD) and Vertiv Holdings (VRT) are central to the digital infrastructure expansion, driven by increasing demand for data center capacity due to AI, cloud computing, and high-performance computing workloads [2][3] - Global data center capital expenditures are projected to grow at a 21% CAGR through 2029, reaching approximately $1.2 trillion, benefiting both APLD and VRT [3] Company Performance: Applied Digital (APLD) - APLD has shifted from cryptocurrency mining to becoming a dedicated AI infrastructure provider, capitalizing on the growth of AI and machine learning workloads [5] - In Q4 fiscal 2025, APLD reported revenues of $38 million, a 41% increase year over year, and achieved positive adjusted EBITDA of $1 million [6] - APLD's partnership with CoreWeave is expected to generate around $7 billion in contracted revenue over 15 years for 250 megawatts of critical IT load [7] - The company has improved construction efficiency, reducing deployment timelines from 24 months to 12-14 months [7] - APLD's North Dakota locations provide low-cost energy and innovative cooling systems, enhancing its competitive position in the market [8] Company Performance: Vertiv Holdings (VRT) - VRT is a leading provider of thermal and power management solutions for high-density data centers, with a broad product portfolio addressing critical infrastructure needs [9] - In Q2 2025, VRT's net sales rose 35% year over year to $2.64 billion, with quarterly orders surpassing $3 billion for the first time [10][11] - VRT's strategic partnerships and acquisitions, including the $200 million acquisition of Great Lakes, enhance its capabilities in AI data center offerings [12] Stock Performance and Valuation - Year-to-date, APLD shares have increased by 95.9%, while VRT shares have appreciated by 26.5% [13] - Both companies are currently considered overvalued, with APLD trading at a forward Price/Sales ratio of 12.98X compared to VRT's 5.07X [16] - Earnings estimates show APLD's first quarter fiscal 2026 loss is expected to be 6 cents per share, improving by 33.33% over the past 30 days [19] - VRT's third-quarter 2025 earnings estimate is pegged at 98 cents per share, reflecting a 28.95% year-over-year increase [20] Conclusion - Both APLD and VRT are well-positioned to benefit from the AI-driven expansion in data center infrastructure, with APLD showing a more accelerated growth path [21][22] - VRT maintains strong growth visibility through its product portfolio and industry partnerships, but its expansion is less aggressive compared to APLD [22]

Global launch of end-to-end solution that delivers flexible, faster-to-deploy infrastructure to simplify and accelerate high-performance data center buildouts. COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertiv (NYSE: VRT), a global leader in critical digital infrastructure, today announced the global availability of Vertiv™ OneCore, a scalable prefabricated solution that integrates Vertiv's proven power, thermal, and IT infrastructure technologies into a single, factory- assembled system. Designed to acce ...

Vertiv Holdings Co VRT reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised its FY25 guidance above estimates on Wednesday. Vertiv reported quarterly earnings of 95 cents per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of 83 cents per share. The company reported quarterly sales of $2.64 billion which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $2.35 billion. Vertiv shares gained 2.6% to trade at $147.89 on Thursday. These analysts made changes to their price targets on Vertiv following earnings an ...

Key Takeaways Vertiv Holdings Co. (VRT) came up with second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of $0.95 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.83. This compares to earnings of $0.67 per share a year ago. VRT posted quarterly revenues of $2.64 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 11.86%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.95 billion. Vertiv is a leading global provider of critical digital infrastructure and services for data centers, communication networks, and commercial and ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) was $0.95, up approximately 42% year-on-year, primarily driven by higher adjusted operating profit [12][29] - Organic sales grew 34% year-on-year, with strong performance in the Americas (up mid-40s) and APAC (up mid-30s), while EMEA delivered high single-digit growth [13][30] - Adjusted operating profit was $489 million, up 28% year-on-year, with an adjusted operating margin of 18.5%, approximately 110 basis points lower than the prior year due to tariffs [15][30] - Free cash flow for Q2 was $277 million, down year-on-year, but adjusted free cash flow for the first half was $542 million, a robust growth of 24% year-on-year [16][32] - Full-year adjusted free cash flow guidance raised to $1.4 billion, with net sales guidance increased by $550 million to $10 billion [17][37] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Americas organic sales increased by 43%, driven by strength in colocation and hyperscale markets, with an adjusted operating margin of 24% [32] - APAC saw a 37% organic sales increase, with margin expansion to 10.6% [32] - EMEA's organic sales grew 7%, but the region is expected to be flat for the full year due to operational execution challenges and investments in fixed costs [34][35] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The backlog stands strong at $8.5 billion, up 21% year-on-year and 7% sequentially from Q1, supporting increased guidance for the year [18] - The regulatory environment is becoming more conducive to AI infrastructure investment, positively impacting customer discussions and pipeline [19][110] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company maintains a strategy of driving growth through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions, with a robust M&A pipeline [10] - Recent acquisition of Great Lakes is expected to enhance the company's capabilities in high-end rack solutions and AI infrastructure [26] - Ongoing investments in R&D and capacity expansion are aimed at staying ahead of market demand and delivering innovative solutions [11][21] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's performance and future trajectory, highlighting the digital revolution and the fundamental role of data centers [10] - The company anticipates that operational inefficiencies and execution challenges will be resolved by year-end, leading to improved margins in 2026 [31][102] - The management is optimistic about the growth trajectory and market share gains, particularly in the context of AI infrastructure [40][130] Other Important Information - The company plans to change how it communicates orders, providing projected full-year orders rather than quarterly orders to better align with business operations [19] - The tariff situation remains dynamic, with ongoing countermeasures being executed to mitigate impacts [20][21] Q&A Session Summary Question: Margin expectations for 2026 - Management believes that 2026 could be a more normal year for margins, with a positive long-term trajectory expected [48] Question: Strength in backlog and order duration - Backlog duration remains similar to historical trends, with some customers seeking earlier deliveries, indicating a healthy demand [52][53] Question: Impact of tariffs and inflation on pricing - Management indicated that they have the commercial leverage to recover tariffs, despite delays in converting orders to sales [57] Question: Win rates and procurement changes among hyperscalers - Win rates remain stable, with no significant changes in procurement methods among hyperscalers [66][68] Question: Operational inefficiencies - Inefficiencies are attributed to tariff transitions and the need for new sources, compounded by significant growth [75][78] Question: Growth rates for thermal service contracts - Management expects strong growth in thermal service contracts, particularly related to liquid cooling systems [88] Question: Evolution of product offerings for data centers - The company is evolving its product footprint to accommodate higher voltage power distribution and increasing rack density [92][94] Question: Gross margin expectations - Management expects gross margins to improve in Q4 due to operational leverage and resolution of inefficiencies [102][121] Question: Capital allocation priorities post-acquisition - M&A will remain a key part of the capital allocation strategy, with a strong process and active pipeline in place [136]