Beyond the plethora of mining stocks that dominate the IBD 50, names seen as \"pick and shovel\" plays for the artificial intelligence data center explosion are peppering the list. Companies including Vertiv HoldingsVRT, Applied DigitalAPLD and Comfort Systems USAFIX have exposure to data centers through infrastructure or building services.
Sterling InfrastructureSTRL and CelesticaCLS have also ridden the data center wave.
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Heading the list, Vertiv is in the buy zone to 199.14 of a double-bottom base with a 189.66 entry point. The stock broke out in late January. Vertiv partners with NvidiaNVDA on next-generation AI infrastructure. It also makes heating, rack cooling and power systems, and energy storage products.
The firm is expected to report its fourth-quarter results on Feb. 11. Wall Street projects quarterly profit of $1.29 per share, or a 30% rise, with sales of $2.88 billion. Its full-year 2025 earnings are forecast to pop 45%, then 29% in 2026.
Meanwhile, Applied Digital is tightening up while trading around a 39.51 handle entry of a deep consolidation pattern. Shares forcefully retook their 10-week moving average in early January.
Applied Digital designs, builds and operates data centers and provides digital infrastructure solutions for cloud services providers, AI companies and crypto miners. On Jan. 7, the company reported a 250% spike in fiscal second-quarter revenue with zero profit; analysts expected a loss of 10 cents per share.
Comfort Systems hit a record high on Thursday and is extended from a cup base with a 1,020.26 buy point. Its relative strength line has climbed steadily since April.
Comfort Systems makes prefabricated cooling, heating and electrical systems used in data centers, and provides plumbing and mechanical building services.
Wall Street calls for a 65% jump in Comfort Systems' fourth-quarter profit, with sales advancing 25%. And full-year 2025 earnings models show an 80% surge, then a more modest 17% increase for 2026.
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Sterling Infrastructure is climbing in a cup base with a 419.14 buy point, according to MarketSurge pattern recognition.
Sterling's E-Infrastructure Solutions unit provides site development and electrical services for AI data centers, as well as the semiconductor fabrication, manufacturing and power generation industries.
The company has been a steady profit grower as seen in its Earnings Stability factor of 5 out of 99 possible — with a lower number being better. Sterling's annual profit growth has averaged 48% over the last five years, with 2025 profit expected to vault 52%, before tapering to 16% growth in 2026.
Finally, Celestica is in a consolidation pattern with a 363.40 buy point. Celestica designs, engineers and makes products and services used in data center infrastructure as well as rack integration.
Late Wednesday, Celestica reported fourth-quarter earnings that jumped 70% on sales that rose 44%. It also raised its 2026 revenue outlook. But shares tumbled Thursday as software names like MicrosoftMSFT, SAPSAP and ServiceNowNOW plummeted on earnings, sparking a tech sell-off.
Follow Kimberley Koenig for more stock market news on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @IBD_KKoenig.
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