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<\/a> Zacks Investment Research <\/p>\nImage Source: Zacks Investment Research <\/p>\n
Why Look Beyond NVIDIA? <\/p>\n
NVIDIA remains the dominant supplier of AI accelerators, with fiscal 2027, second-quarter Data Center revenues soaring 117% year over year driven by strong demand for its Blackwell platform and the ramp of Blackwell Ultra. However, AI data centers require much more than GPUs. They also need high-speed networking, servers, power-management systems, cooling equipment and other critical infrastructure. <\/p>\n
Recent corporate results provide further evidence that AI infrastructure spending is extending beyond GPUs. Broadcom’s AVGO fiscal third-quarter AI semiconductor revenues jumped 221% year over year, reflecting strong demand for custom AI accelerators and networking. Hewlett Packard HPE’s fiscal third-quarter Data Center Networking revenues surged 112.2% to $382 million, while the company’s AI Systems orders reached $2.4 billion. <\/p>\n
These trends suggest that the AI investment opportunity is broadening across the data-center stack, creating opportunities in networking, computing, power and cooling alongside the accelerator market. <\/p>\n
2 Stocks to Buy Beyond NVIDIA <\/p>\n
Vertiv: It provides power, cooling and other critical infrastructure for data centers, making it a direct beneficiary of rising AI rack density and electricity requirements. Second-quarter 2026 sales increased 24% year over year, while product revenues rose 22%. The company expects third-quarter sales of $3.65-$3.85 billion. <\/p>\n
Vertiv is also expanding its exposure to power-constrained data centers. On Sept. 2, the company announced an agreement to acquire UtilityInnovation Group for approximately $1.45 billion in cash at closing, with up to $1.15 billion in additional consideration tied to EBITDA targets. The deal would add microgrid controls, onsite-generation orchestration and behind-the-meter power architecture to Vertiv’s portfolio. Vertiv expects the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. <\/p>\n
VRT currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Over the past three months, VRT shares have declined about 30.4%, despite the company’s strong AI infrastructure demand and raised guidance. The pullback could provide a more attractive entry point for investors seeking long-term exposure to the AI data-center buildout. Meanwhile, the stock is projected to report 59.3% earnings growth on 36.9% revenue growth in 2026. <\/p>\n
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research <\/p>\n Arista: It supplies high-speed networking equipment that enables massive AI clusters to move data efficiently. Its second-quarter revenues increased 37.7% year over year, marking its first quarter above $3 billion. Management expects third-quarter revenues of approximately $3.3 billion. <\/p>\n Arista is also benefiting from rising demand for AI networking as cloud and hyperscale customers expand their data-center infrastructure. The company has been developing Ethernet-based solutions for large AI clusters, including its Etherlink AI networking portfolio. Recent industry commentary points to growing demand for high-speed networking as AI clusters become larger and more interconnected. <\/p>\n Shares of ANET have gained 14.2% over the past three months. However, the company’s robust AI networking demand and continued product innovation indicate further growth potential as data-center customers expand their AI infrastructure. This Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock is projected to report 35.6% earnings growth on 39.1% revenue growth in 2026. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. <\/p>\n Image Source: Zacks Investment Research <\/p>\n Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report<\/a> <\/p>\n Arista Networks, Inc. (ANET) : Free Stock Analysis Report<\/a> <\/p>\n Vertiv Holdings Co. (VRT) : Free Stock Analysis Report<\/a> <\/p>\n NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report<\/a> <\/p>\n Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) : Free Stock Analysis Report<\/a> <\/p>\n Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) : Free Stock Analysis Report<\/a> <\/p>\n This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).<\/a> <\/p>\n