Vertiv Stock Tumbles as Barclays Analysts Cut Price Target
Key Takeaways
Shares of Vertiv Holdings (
VRT
) slumped nearly 11% Wednesday after Barclays analysts cut their
price target
for the maker of cooling systems for
artificial intelligence (AI)
data centers.
In a note previewing first-quarter results for a range of multi-industry companies, the analysts on Wednesday maintained their "equal weight"
rating
for Vertiv, but cut their price target to $100 from $111 previously.
That price target is well below the $139.17 analyst consensus compiled by Visible Alpha. Barclays analysts also have the lowest price target and the lone "hold" or equivalent rating, with the 11 other analysts tracked rating it as a "buy."
Vertiv Stock Closely Tied to Pace of Data-Center Spending
The analysts said that Vertiv "looks well-placed for superior
top- and bottom-line growth
in 2025, due to its high Datacenter exposure." However, they added the stock "remains vulnerable to any
hint of cooling
hyperscaler [capital expenditures]" in 2026 and beyond.
They wrote that commentary about AI spending "is likely to become more muted amidst uncertain demand and very large capacity/supply increases," citing recent remarks from
Alibaba Group
(
BABA
) Chairman Joe Tsai, who recently warned of a "bubble" forming in
data-center construction
.
Vertiv shares finished down 11% Wednesday, roughly 50% below their record closing high of $153.49 on Jan. 23. Stocks fell broadly during the session, with tech stocks
hit particularly hard
.
This article has been updated to reflect fresh share-price information.