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Stock Research Report of Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE: VRT)

K

khaja

30th May, 2025
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Stock Research Report of Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE: VRT)

Stock Research Report of Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE: VRT) using principles from 8 legendary investors—covering moat, value, growth, risks, and management quality.


📌 Executive Summary

Vertiv Holdings Co is a mission-critical supplier of digital infrastructure solutions, serving the world's largest data centers, communication networks, and industrial environments. As the AI-driven transformation accelerates, Vertiv is positioned at the nexus of power and cooling infrastructure needed to support hyperscale growth.

In Q1 2025, the company exceeded expectations with:

  • Adjusted EPS of $0.64 (up 49% YoY)
  • 25% organic sales growth across all regions
  • Free Cash Flow (FCF) of $265M (up 162% YoY)
  • Record backlog of $7.9B, driven by multi-year AI buildouts
  • Raised FY25 guidance for organic revenue growth to 18%

Vertiv's robust operating execution, capacity expansion in North America and Mexico, and flexible supply chain strategy are key levers in navigating macro and geopolitical headwinds, including tariffs and regulatory complexities.


💡 Investment Thesis Highlights

Driver Strategic Insight
🧠 AI Infrastructure Tailwind Vertiv enables large-scale GPU clusters and sovereign AI factory buildouts
🔧 Modular Deployments Delivers faster time-to-market and lower cost for hyperscalers and cloud firms
🏗️ Capacity Expansion New plants in US and Mexico mitigate tariff risk and boost production scale
📦 Backlog Visibility $7.9B provides forward visibility into 2025–2026 revenue and earnings
📈 FCF Strength High conversion rate allows flexibility in R&D, M&A, and deleveraging
💰 Pricing Power Proven ability to pass costs through to customers without volume erosion
💼 Market Share Gains Capturing demand from legacy OEMs and smaller players in a consolidating space
🛠️ VOS Execution Vertiv Operating System ensures agile operations and margin expansion

Each of these drivers supports a long-term structural growth story as AI workloads proliferate, creating elevated demand for intelligent power and cooling solutions.


📁 Q1 2025 Financial Snapshot

Metric Q1 2025 Q1 2024 YoY Growth
Revenue $1.64B $1.31B +25%
Adjusted EPS $0.64 $0.43 +49%
AOP $337M $249M +35%
Free Cash Flow $265M $101M +162%
Net Leverage 0.8x 1.3x Improved

Vertiv demonstrated a well-balanced performance across revenue, profitability, and cash generation. Notably, margin expansion was driven by favorable product mix, price realization, and operational efficiency. Net leverage reduction further enhances financial flexibility.


🧐 Investing Legends Framework Analysis

1. 🧹 Understandable Business — (Buffett, Lynch, Graham)

Vertiv offers a clear and critical value proposition: ensuring 24/7 uptime for global digital infrastructure. With recurring service contracts, mission-critical hardware, and a growing software suite, the model is both intuitive and durable.

2. 🛡️ Durable Competitive Advantage — (Buffett, Munger, Lynch)

Vertiv enjoys strong customer lock-in via high switching costs, global scale, and brand loyalty (especially Liebert in thermal management). ROCE of 23.5% and ROE of 32.82% affirm capital efficiency.

3. 📟 Quantitative Value & Financial Health — (Greenblatt, Klarman, Graham)

With a PEG ratio under 1 and strong FCF conversion, Vertiv balances growth and valuation effectively. Debt remains manageable, and interest coverage is sufficient.

4. 📊 Growth at a Reasonable Price (GARP) — (Lynch, Buffett)

PEG at 0.94 and earnings CAGR forecast over 20% support a GARP thesis. Vertiv is not cheap on trailing earnings, but forward growth compensates.

5. 🌍 Macro & Cyclical Awareness — (Dalio, Marks)

Vertiv's positioning in secular digital transformation shields it from deep cyclicality. Tariff exposure is real but proactively mitigated.

6. 📉 Downside Protection — (Klarman, Marks)

With >$260M in quarterly FCF, a de-risked balance sheet, and sticky demand, downside is protected. PEG and FCF yield suggest margin of safety.

7. 🧑‍💼 Management Quality — (Buffett, Munger, Lynch)

Capital discipline, execution consistency, and clear shareholder communication reflect high-quality governance.

8. ⚖️ Final Investment Decision — (All)

Vertiv meets all eight legendary criteria. At $108.47, it trades at a premium vs. 2025, but long-term IRR remains attractive.


🔮 Scorecard Summary

Pillar Verdict
Understandable Business ✅ Pass
Durable Advantage ✅ Pass
Quantitative Value ✅ Pass
GARP Fit ✅ Pass
Macro Awareness ✅ Pass
Risk/Downside Protection ✅ Pass
Management Quality ✅ Pass
Valuation Alignment ✅ Pass

🤔 Forecast & Valuation Analysis

Updated Forward Estimates (2025–2029)

Year Revenue (B) EBITDA (B) Net Income (B) EPS Forward P/E
2025 $9.46 $0.97 $1.38 $3.56 30.5x
2026 $10.76 $1.10 $1.69 $4.36 24.9x
2027 $12.14 $1.25 $2.10 $5.31 20.4x
2028 $13.15 $1.35 $2.34 $6.06 17.9x
2029 $14.87 $1.53 $2.62 $6.77 16.0x

Commentary:

  • Despite a higher entry point, valuation compresses to attractive levels by 2027–2029.
  • This implies continued re-rating potential as earnings catch up.
  • Long-term IRR remains strong, supported by structural demand.

📊 Peer Comparison

Company Fwd P/E EV/EBITDA P/FCF Debt/Equity
Vertiv 30.5x 14x 18x 0.7
Eaton 28x 20x 24x 0.5
Schneider Electric 26x 19x 22x 0.4
ABB 25x 18x 20x 0.3

While Vertiv appears expensive on 2025 earnings, its higher earnings growth rate justifies the premium.


💰 Dividend & ESG Profile

Factor Value / Rating
Dividend Yield ~0.4%
Payout Ratio ~10% (retained for growth)
ESG Rating MSCI BBB / Medium Risk
Shariah Compliance Mostly compliant (low interest debt, neutral ops)

👌 Final Takeaways & Recommendation

  • Vertiv is a mission-critical enabler of digital infrastructure transformation.
  • Despite a higher share price, valuation remains fair given EPS growth and margin expansion.
  • All fundamental, strategic, and qualitative factors align for long-term value investors.

Final Recommendation

Time Horizon Action
1–2 Years Hold / Accumulate on Dips
3–5 Years Strong Buy — High Conviction