Vertiv Extends Losing Streak to 11 Sessions as Analysts Retain Buy Ratings
Vertiv fell for an 11th consecutive session, its longest losing streak since listing in 2020, and is down nearly 20% since Oct. 6. Analysts have cut several price targets but mostly maintained bullish ratings; the article cites an average target of $314.
Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE: VRT) was down for an 11th straight session by Tuesday afternoon, extending its longest losing streak since the company went public in February 2020. The decline began on Oct. 6 and has cut nearly 20% from the stock, which was trading around $204.
Its previous longest streak was nine sessions, ending March 3, 2020. No other S&P 500 member was then lower for more than seven consecutive sessions. Among companies on seven-session losing streaks, Quanta Services Inc. (NYSE: PWR), EMCOR Group Inc.
(NYSE: EME) and Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) also build or equip power infrastructure for AI projects. The slump raises questions about why Vertiv, a closely watched AI data center stock, has fallen for consecutive sessions while Wall Street analysts remain positive. ### What Changed Was the Cost of Capital, Not the Backlog The decline accelerated on Oct.
14. September consumer prices were up 3.7% year over year, above the 3.6% expected, and the 10-year Treasury yield briefly reached 5.33%. That day, CoreWeave Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWV) shares dropped as much as 16% after its bond yields reached 15%.
Gartner also forecast that More than 80% of neocloud providers — specialized AI cloud companies — will cease operating independently by 2030. A day later, producer prices rose 1.3% in September, the steepest monthly increase since March 2022. Neither development was specific to Vertiv, but both affect which companies may be able to afford its cooling systems next year. Read Also: CoreWeave Bond Yields Hit 15.5%, Shares Sink to 17-Month Lows In late September, BlackRock presented a contrasting view in its weekly commentary.
It said cheaper AI models “could shift value toward the physical infrastructure needed to support greater AI use computing power, data centers and electricity.” BlackRock added that the buildout was “speeding up, making bottlenecks binding.” The thesis has not been refuted; the market is now questioning who will pay for the buildout. March 2020: The Only Precedent Vertiv’s only comparable losing streak followed its February 2020 listing through a merger with a Goldman Sachs-sponsored blank-check company. From Feb. 20 to March 3, the stock declined for nine consecutive sessions, losing 17.2%.
The pandemic, rather than a company-specific development, drove the decline. The shares continued lower after the streak ended, reaching a closing low of $5.57 on March 18. From that point, the stock rose roughly 67-fold, reaching a record close of $376.23 in May 2026. The comparison cuts both ways: macro forces drove both streaks, which are nearly identical in length and depth.
But in 2020, the future scale of data centers was unknown. ### Analysts Trim Targets, Keep Their Ratings Analysts have reduced their price targets while maintaining bullish ratings. RBC Capital lowered its target to $323 from $337 on Oct. 14.
Mizuho cut its target to $280 from $300 the following day. Morgan Stanley reduced its target to $330 from $350 on Oct. 16. RBC and Mizuho retained Outperform ratings, while Morgan Stanley maintained Overweight.
The streak’s first day brought its only bearish call. On Oct. 6, GLJ Research’s Gordon Johnson initiated coverage with a Sell rating and a $188 price target, citing the possibility that the liquid-cooling market could face oversupply in 2028. Still, Analyst Ratings data show that 23 of 25 analysts rate the stock Buy.
The average price target is $314, implying about 54% upside. Read Also: Bank Stocks Are On Their Longest Losing Streak Since 2008: Rates Aren't The Only Problem ### The Business Has Not Slowed Down In July, Vertiv reported second-quarter net sales of $3.27 billion, up 24% from a Adjusted earnings per share climbed 60% to $1.52, topping analysts’ $1.42 estimate. Vertiv also lifted its 2026 outlook, projecting adjusted earnings of $6.65 to $6.75 per share and net sales of about $14 billion. The shares fell 17% on the day of the report.
At around $204, they trade at about 30 times the midpoint of the 2026 earnings outlook. ### Oct. 28 Is the Line Vertiv is scheduled to report third-quarter results before the market opens on Oct. 28, with the Fed due to announce its rate decision later that day.
The company has forecast adjusted operating profit of $898 million to $938 million for the quarter and adjusted earnings per share of $1.77 to $1.83. In July, some revenue from the quarter shifted into later periods. CEO Giordano Albertazzi told analysts the company had “experienced some minor timing shifts in Q2 revenue, primarily driven by multiphase project execution.” Investors will find out on Oct. 28 whether those shifts reflected timing or something more.
The Fed’s decision later that day will also set the cost of financing the data centers powered by Vertiv’s equipment.