AI Capex Crosses $1 Trillion Next Year. Here Are 2 Industrial Stocks That Will Benefit

AI spending by U.S. hyperscalers could reach $1 trillion in 2027, according to S&P Global. That spending spree would squeeze the margins of top hyperscalers, but it would also generate strong tailwinds for many industrial companies. Let's take a closer look at two industrial stocks that could soar much higher as the AI market expands: Vertiv Holdings (NYSE: VRT) and Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR).

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Vertiv Holdings

Vertiv provides thermal management, liquid cooling, and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems. It's also partnered with Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) to co-develop 800-volt DC power architectures for the chipmaker's top-tier GPUs.

Nvidia's latest AI chips consume so much power and run so hot that data centers must upgrade their infrastructure with Vertiv's products to stay online. That's why its revenue more than doubled from $5.0 billion in 2021 to $10.2 billion in 2025. Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) more than tripled from $698 million to $2.2 billion.

Vertiv's backlog more than doubled year over year to $15 billion at the end of 2025, and it's still expanding its global manufacturing facilities to meet that demand.

From 2025 to 2028, analysts expect Vertiv's revenue and adjusted EBITDA to grow at CAGRs of 28% and 38%, respectively. With an enterprise value of $117 billion, it isn't a bargain at 34 times this year's adjusted EBITDA -- but it remains one of the best industrial plays on the AI boom.

Quanta Services

Quanta builds high-voltage transmission lines, substations, renewable energy facilities, and data center power systems for utilities and energy companies. It expanded by acquiring more than 200 companies across North America and Australia over the past three decades.

From 2021 to 2025, its year-end backlog more than doubled from $19.3 billion to $44 billion. Most of that growth was driven by the rapid expansion of the power-hungry cloud infrastructure and AI markets.

That revolution is forcing many utilities in the United States to upgrade their aging electrical grids and build new infrastructure for transmitting wind and solar energy.

From 2025 to 2028, analysts expect Quanta's revenue and adjusted EBITDA to grow at CAGRs of 17% and 19%, respectively, as it transmits more power to those data centers. With an enterprise value of $103 billion, it still looks reasonably valued at 29 times this year's adjusted EBITDA. So if you're looking for a simple way to profit from the soaring energy demands of the AI market, Quanta checks all the right boxes.

Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia, Quanta Services, S&P Global, and Vertiv. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.