5 Best Performing S&P 500 Stocks So Far in 2026

3. Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT)

Year-to-Date Performance: 97.88%

Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT) is one of the best performing S&P 500 stocks so far in 2026. On April 27, Vertiv acquired Strategic Thermal Labs/STL, a specialist in advanced liquid-cooling technologies, to enhance its thermal management capabilities for high-density AI and HPC. This acquisition focuses on the critical interface between server-side liquid cooling and infrastructure, adding STL’s expertise in cold-plate design and high-density thermal validation to Vertiv’s portfolio.

By strengthening its ability to simulate and emulate real-world compute conditions, Vertiv aims to optimize the interaction between power and thermal chains, improving overall system reliability and lifecycle outcomes. A key driver for this move is the unprecedented power density required by modern AI workloads, which makes solving heat challenges at the chip level essential for system performance.

The integration of STL allows Vertiv to better validate system-level solutions, helping customers manage the increasing complexity of liquid-cooled environments. Vertiv noted that this acquisition will support its capacity to support clients through every stage of the process. Despite the acquisition, Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT) reaffirmed its commitment to an open ecosystem. The company will remain server and silicon-agnostic, ensuring its infrastructure solutions are interoperable across diverse compute environments.

Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT) is an electrical equipment & parts company that specializes in critical digital infrastructure technologies & life cycle services for data centers and communication networks