Groupe la Francaise Purchases 77,610 Shares of Vertiv Holdings Co. $VRT

Key Points

• Groupe la Francaise increased its Vertiv position by 293.3% in the second quarter, buying 77,610 additional shares for a total holding of 104,073 shares valued at approximately $34.9 million. Institutional investors now own 89.92% of Vertiv.
• Vertiv reported strong operating momentum, with quarterly EPS of $1.52 beating estimates and revenue rising 24.1% year over year. Its AI infrastructure expansion, including the planned $1.45 billion UIG acquisition, is expected to broaden its power-management and data-center offerings.
• Investor sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $357.83, although analysts have recently adjusted some targets downward. The stock trades at a demanding valuation of roughly 63.5 times earnings, while a director sold $3.88 million in shares under a pre-arranged trading plan.

Groupe la Francaise lifted its holdings in Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT - Free Report) by 293.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 104,073 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 77,610 shares during the period. Groupe la Francaise's holdings in Vertiv were worth $34,859,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in Vertiv during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $9,135,000. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in Vertiv by 33,242.5% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 185,501,329 shares of the company's stock worth $62,109,555,000 after buying an additional 184,944,978 shares during the period. Greenland Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Vertiv during the second quarter worth approximately $598,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vertiv by 404.0% during the second quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,684 shares of the company's stock worth $3,577,000 after buying an additional 8,564 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital boosted its position in shares of Vertiv by 7.5% in the second quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 4,984 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,589,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares during the period. 89.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Vertiv

In other Vertiv news, Director Edward Monser sold 15,287 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.82, for a total value of $3,880,146.34. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 16,500 shares in the company, valued at $4,188,030. The trade was a 48.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Vertiv News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vertiv this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI power infrastructure expansion: Vertiv will pay approximately $1.45 billion in cash at closing, with up to $1.15 billion in additional payments tied to 12- and 24-month earnings targets. UIG adds microgrid controls, onsite-generation orchestration, switchgear and behind-the-meter power capabilities, extending Vertiv’s offering from the electrical grid to the data-center chip. Management expects the acquisition to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share in the first year after closing. Vertiv’s UIG Deal Targets the Next Big Constraint in AI Data Centers
• Positive Sentiment: Strong AI-driven growth narrative: Recent analysis highlights Vertiv’s 60% year-over-year adjusted EPS growth in the second quarter, higher full-year guidance, doubled deferred revenue and expected third-quarter revenue growth of roughly 40%. Its technical integration with NVIDIA and expanding cooling and power portfolio continue to support investor enthusiasm. Vertiv Holdings: The Market Is Making The Same Mistake Twice, Still A Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Positive analyst and institutional sentiment: Vertiv retains a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, while reports point to strong interest from billionaire-led funds and potential competitive advantages over other AI cooling and infrastructure providers. Vertiv Receives Moderate Buy Consensus
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains demanding: Analysts view Vertiv’s growth prospects favorably, but the stock’s elevated earnings multiple leaves limited room for execution disappointments and makes future gains dependent on continued strong AI infrastructure growth. Vertiv AI Infrastructure Growth and Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: Director Edward Monser sold 15,287 shares worth approximately $3.88 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The planned nature limits its significance, but the transaction reduced his direct ownership by about 48%. Vertiv Director Insider Sale

Vertiv Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of VRT opened at $280.76 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market cap of $108.09 billion, a PE ratio of 63.52, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 2.07. Vertiv Holdings Co. has a 1 year low of $118.70 and a 1 year high of $379.93. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $282.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $291.20.

Vertiv (NYSE:VRT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.09. Vertiv had a return on equity of 50.47% and a net margin of 15.09%.The business had revenue of $3.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.95 EPS. Vertiv's quarterly revenue was up 24.1% on a year-over-year basis. Vertiv has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.770-1.830 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-6.750 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vertiv Holdings Co. will post 6.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vertiv Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Investors of record on Monday, September 14th will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 14th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. Vertiv's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5.66%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VRT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Vertiv from $414.00 to $358.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. KeyCorp cut their price objective on shares of Vertiv from $360.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Zacks Research cut shares of Vertiv from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Bank of America lifted their target price on Vertiv from $370.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Vertiv from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $357.83.

Vertiv Profile

Vertiv is a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions for data centers, communication networks and commercial and industrial environments. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, the company designs, manufactures and services equipment and software that support power availability, thermal management and IT infrastructure management for a broad set of end markets, including hyperscale and enterprise data centers, colocation providers, telecom operators and industrial customers.

The company's product portfolio includes uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), power distribution units (PDUs), battery and DC power systems, precision cooling and thermal management equipment, racks and enclosures, and integrated modular infrastructure.

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