Shares in Computacenter, a recent addition to the FTSE 100 index, reached a record high following the company's announcement of nearly doubled profits in the first half of the year. The surge in performance is attributed to increased demand for artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, particularly in North America and Britain.
Computacenter, which designs, sources, and deploys IT infrastructure including hardware, software, and connectivity solutions, saw its shares climb approximately six percent to a new peak of 5,950 pence before settling slightly lower. The company's year-to-date gains stand at 91 percent.
Analysts suggest Computacenter has successfully capitalized on the infrastructure build-out required for data centers that power AI technologies. The firm now anticipates its full-year pre-tax profit to be at least £380 million, surpassing previous forecasts of £340.9 million.
For the six months ending June 30, Computacenter reported a 71.6 percent increase in revenue to £6.85 billion. Adjusted operating profits for the period rose by 86.5 percent to £153.1 million. The North American region was a significant contributor, accounting for 62 percent of group adjusted operating profit before central costs, fueled by accelerated investments in AI infrastructure from hyperscale, neocloud, and enterprise clients.
Operations in Britain also experienced a substantial uplift, with revenue more than doubling to £1.51 billion and adjusted operating profit increasing by 52.6 percent to £26.4 million. This growth was largely driven by AI-related data center projects, with Technology Sourcing revenue tripling due to success in delivering AI infrastructure and strong demand from enterprise and public sector customers.
Computacenter concluded June with a record committed product order backlog of £9.3 billion, a 323 percent increase year-on-year. Orders continued to grow after the period's end.
"Computacenter delivered a record first half, significantly ahead of our expectations at the start of the year, as we converted strong and growing customer demand for digital infrastructure into substantial revenue, gross profit and operating profit growth," said Chief Executive Mike Norris.
Founded in 1981, Computacenter expanded into Europe and the US, listing on the London Stock Exchange in 1998 and joining the FTSE 100 in June 2026. The company's involvement in data center hardware and services accelerated in 2022 following a contract with a major client, believed by analysts to be Meta, for its 'Metaverse' project.
Adam Vettese, an analyst at eToro, noted that the market is now viewing Computacenter as an AI infrastructure stock, a shift from its previous perception as an IT reseller. He added that while the recent share price increase is justified confirmation, the long-term investment case depends on the company's ability to secure ongoing work and improve service margins.