Vertiv (NYSE:VRT) Shares Down 3.4% After Analyst Downgrade

Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT)’s share price dropped 3.4% during mid-day trading on Thursday after Mizuho lowered their price target on the stock from $300.00 to $280.00. Mizuho currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Vertiv traded as low as $204.38 and last traded at $215.2140. Approximately 12,812,123 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 101% from the average session volume of 6,376,366 shares. The stock had previously closed at $222.83.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on VRT. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Vertiv from $440.00 to $375.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Vertiv from $352.00 to $301.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Vertiv from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, September 19th. Zacks Research cut shares of Vertiv from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Vertiv in a report on Monday, September 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $336.41.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vertiv news, Director Edward Monser sold 15,287 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.82, for a total transaction of $3,880,146.34. Following the transaction, the director owned 16,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,188,030. This trade represents a 48.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Vertiv

Here are the key news stories impacting Vertiv this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho maintained an Outperform rating while lowering its price target from $300 to $280, implying approximately 31% upside from the referenced price. Mizuho price target update
• Positive Sentiment: Vertiv and Deloitte introduced a guide to help enterprises move AI projects from pilots into production. The workload-based framework could support demand for Vertiv’s power, cooling and digital-infrastructure solutions as companies expand AI deployments. Vertiv Helps Enterprises Move from AI Pilots to Production
• Positive Sentiment: Management previously forecast third-quarter revenue of approximately $3.75 billion at the midpoint, representing about 40% year-over-year growth. Investors are watching whether the pending results confirm an acceleration from second-quarter growth. Why Should Vertiv Stock Holders Watch This One Number?
• Neutral Sentiment: Vertiv will release third-quarter 2026 results before the market opens on October 28, followed by an earnings conference call. The report is the next major catalyst for the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada also reduced its price target, from $337 to $323, while retaining an Outperform rating. The cuts may signal more cautious near-term expectations despite continued bullish views. RBC price target update
• Negative Sentiment: Recent comparisons with Amphenol highlight Vertiv’s exposure to strong AI infrastructure demand but note Amphenol’s better stock performance and more diversified portfolio, potentially pressuring investor sentiment toward VRT. Vertiv vs. Amphenol

Institutional Trading of Vertiv

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VRT. Perpetual Ltd increased its position in Vertiv by 6,110.5% during the 3rd quarter. Perpetual Ltd now owns 114,397 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,605,000 after purchasing an additional 112,555 shares in the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management lifted its stake in Vertiv by 137.5% in the 1st quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 7,238 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,814,000 after purchasing an additional 4,190 shares during the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its stake in Vertiv by 536.3% in the 1st quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 76,358 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,134,000 after purchasing an additional 64,358 shares during the last quarter. NBZ Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Vertiv in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,204,000. Finally, N10 Wealth LLC boosted its position in Vertiv by 34.2% in the third quarter. N10 Wealth LLC now owns 80,798 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,497,000 after buying an additional 20,604 shares in the last quarter. 89.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vertiv Price Performance

The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $258.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $289.58. The stock has a market cap of $82.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 2.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.03.

Vertiv (NYSE:VRT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $3.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. Vertiv had a net margin of 15.09% and a return on equity of 50.47%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.95 earnings per share. Vertiv has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.770-1.830 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-6.750 EPS. Research analysts expect that Vertiv Holdings Co. will post 6.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Vertiv Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 14th were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 14th. Vertiv’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.66%.

About Vertiv

Vertiv Holdings Co provides digital infrastructure and continuity solutions for data centers, communication networks, and other technology-intensive facilities. The company helps customers design, build, operate, and maintain infrastructure that supports the availability, performance, and efficiency of critical digital systems.

Its product portfolio includes power management and distribution equipment, uninterruptible power supplies, switchgear, busways, racks, integrated modular systems, and data center infrastructure.