3 Infrastructure Stocks Fueling the Data Center Building Boom

Key Points

• Sterling Infrastructure, Quanta Services, and Comfort Systems USA each address a critical stage of data center construction, from site preparation to grid connection to HVAC installation.
• All three companies reported strong Q1 2026 earnings beats and raised full-year guidance, supported by multibillion-dollar backlogs reflecting sustained AI-driven demand.
• All three stocks have posted significant gains so far in 2026, and there's plenty of evidence that their momentum is far from fading.

Investors often focus on the small stuff when considering AI stocks. Ultra-dense chips, precise lasers, and tools capable of inspecting the millimeter gaps between wafers are often viewed as the big innovations in the space, and the companies making these products have seen exponential stock gains.

However, investors would also be wise to consider the infrastructure that makes all of these processes possible in the first place.

Data centers still require substantial nuts-and-bolts hardware and maintenance to operate efficiently. AI can’t run without electricity, big buildings, and a Goldilocks environment where the conditions are just right. That means huge investments in things like transformers, turbines, power lines, piping and plumbing, and HVAC systems.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity consumption is expected to grow by up to 1.6% annually over the next 25 years. Data center energy usage was cited as a significant factor in the anticipated increase. These figures underscore the massive infrastructure investments required to support the buildout, and the following three companies are already benefiting from the AI cash spigot.

Each of the following three companies solves a critical chokepoint in data center construction and operation, offering some portfolio diversity in a tech sector stack.

Sterling Infrastructure: Laying the Foundation for Data Center Site Development

Sterling Infrastructure Inc. NASDAQ: STRL does the groundwork for data center construction—literally.

The company prepares the site where data center facilities will be built, installing electrical infrastructure and foundations for iron and composite fittings.

Most of the company’s operations come from Texas and the Mid-Atlantic corridor, and it booked more than $2.49 billion in sales last year. But if the Q1 2026 results are any indication, that $2.49 billion figure may look quaint by the end of 2026.

Sterling reported a massive top- and bottom-line beat in Q1; $825 million in quarterly revenue vs. $603 million expected, and earnings per share (EPS) of $3.59 vs. $2.29 expected. Sales were up more than 90% year-over-year (YOY), including a stunning 174% acceleration in the E-Infrastructure segment.

Management upped full-year 2026 revenue guidance to $3.7 to $3.8 billion, a 20% increase from the previous midpoint projection.

The order book offers strong future revenue visibility, with a signed backlog of $3.8 billion and a potential pipeline of $6.5 billion. The stock jumped more than 50% following the release, and shares are now up more than 170% year-to-date (YTD). One headwind noted by management is that the company is struggling to find qualified electricians and project managers to keep up with demand, forcing executives to be selective in bidding jobs.

STRL shares were enjoying bullish momentum before the earnings bump, with strong support at the 50-day moving average. The long-term trend remains bullish, but staffing headwinds and technical trouble could limit short-term upside. The stock is deep into overbought territory on the Relative Strength Index (RSI), and the price has been rejected twice at the $890 level, hinting at a short-term top.

Quanta Services: Connecting Data Centers to the Grid

If Sterling Infrastructure builds the foundation, Quanta Services Inc. NYSE: PWR is likely to connect the building to the power grid.

The company is a contractor providing electrical infrastructure and transmission to hyperscalers, and its recent revenue figures show that data centers continue to thirst for power.

In Q1 2026, Quanta reported $7.87 billion in revenue with EPS of $2.68, both well-above analysts’ expectations.

Management increased full-year guidance to $34.7 billion to $35.2 billion, and the backlog stands at $48.5 billion, a figure that would have seemed unfathomable a few years ago.

PWR shares have a cleaner chart than STRL, and appear to be gaining momentum following the earnings pop.

The stock has consolidated in the week following the release, allowing the RSI and Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicators to return to more neutral levels.

The short and long-term trends are both bullish, and there’s less risk of a pullback than STRL.

Comfort Systems USA: Mechanical and Electrical Services Inside the Building

The components that make up AI systems can get very hot, and they require constant cooling to operate properly.

Comfort Systems USA Inc. NYSE: FIX designs and builds intricate HVAC systems for data centers, combining prefabricated modules with on-site construction teams.

MarketBeat discussed the company as a hidden AI winner last year, but now the secret is out, and the stock is up more than 300% in the last 12 months.

However, there’s still upside in the stock thanks to its record $12.5 backlog reported during the Q1 2026 conference call on April 23, and its ability to continue growing margins (a record 26.3% gross in Q1).

FIX’s daily chart is also a smooth one, with a strong uptrend supported by technical signals on the RSI and MACD. Neither indicator is flashing overbought red flags, and the stock has been churning steadily higher since a five-week consolidation. It’s all systems go for FIX shares, and investors might have to wait a while for a pullback and better entry.