Traders flock to stocks benefiting from AI data center spending as hyperscalers plan $600B capex blitz

The biggest buildout in tech history is underway, and traders are placing their bets accordingly. Stocks tied to AI data center construction are surging as hyperscale cloud providers collectively guide for somewhere between $600 billion and $630 billion in combined capital expenditures for 2026, with roughly 75% of that budget earmarked for AI-related infrastructure. The companies cashing in When Amazon plans to invest about $200 billion and Alphabet guides for roughly $175 billion to $185 billion, the companies selling shovels during this particular gold rush tend to do pretty well. The revised spending forecasts represent a significant upward shift from prior predictions. Vertiv, which makes the power and cooling systems that keep data centers from literally melting, has been one of the biggest winners. The stock is up over 70% year-to-date. The company reported order growth of 252%, building a backlog of $15 billion. Vertiv also raised its 2026 revenue guidance to between $13.5 billion and $14 billion, with adjusted earnings per share projected at $6.30 to $6.40. The demand spike is largely driven by the industry’s shift toward high-density server racks. These racks pack more co...