AI data centers are putting pressure on the US power grid, making grid equipment manufacturers, apart from chipmakers, direct beneficiaries of the AI buildout. US data center power consumption is expected to increase 22% in a single year, with total grid demand almost tripling to 134.4 GW by 2030.
Hyperscalers such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle are reportedly lining up for gas turbine capacity to power their data centers, with GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV) sitting at the center of this demand. That strategic position was reflected in the company’s second-quarter 2026 financial results, which showed top-line revenue increasing 22% year-over-year to $11.1 billion, beating Wall Street’s forecasts of $10.79 billion.
Revenue Beat Offset by EPS Miss and Wind Segment Drag
Despite the revenue beat and solid top-line growth, GE Vernova’s stock fell more than 7% in pre-market trading due to a significant bottom-line shortfall. The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $2.47, which was $0.57 below Wall Street’s $3.04 expected estimate. This 18.8% earnings miss was reinforced by management’s warning that anticipated global tariff revisions could add $100 million to $200 million in cost headwinds in 2026, taking short-term traders by surprise.
In addition, the company’s struggling Wind sector remains the biggest operational burden, causing the earnings pressure. While Power and Electrification had healthy margin expansion, Wind revenue fell 10% year-over-year to $2.03 billion, with core EBITDA losses rising to $275 million owing to reduced onshore equipment deliveries.
That said, focusing simply on the quarterly earnings failure ignores the staggering demand data found further in the report. GE Vernova’s total orders increased 88% organically to $24.2 billion in the quarter, bringing its backlog to a record $176 billion. This represents a $13 billion sequential backlog increase, putting the company on track to meet its target of $200 billion in total backlog by 2027. CEO Scott Strazik pointed out that the long-cycle electric power industry is still in the early phases of a multi-decade buildout, with equipment orders up 77% as utility customers scramble to secure capacity.
This order increase is already resulting in a massive cash flow expansion. Quarterly free cash flow totaled $5.1 billion, causing management to significantly lift its full-year 2026 free cash flow projection to between $11.5 billion and $12.5 billion, rising from the previous range of $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion.
High Valuation Multiples Leave Zero Room for Error
The abrupt negative stock reaction makes perfect sense when viewed through the lens of valuation rather than business health. GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV) trades at a forward price-to-earnings multiple of over 51.5x and an enterprise value-to-EBITDA ratio of more than 85x, representing a significant premium above the broader industrial products sector median of around 20x. When a company like GEV trades at more than 250% above its sector average and has an active loss-making business segment, the market expects faultless execution across all quarterly metrics.
The peer comparison sharpens the issue even further. Vertiv Holdings (NYSE:VRT) is widely regarded as a more direct, pure-play approach to invest in AI data center power and thermal management, without GE Vernova-like cyclicality and project risk from the wind business weighing down the story. However, Vertiv lacks GE Vernova’s massive utility-scale turbine production capacity and grid-level electrification infrastructure.
Hedge Fund Conviction
Institutional investors have viewed short-term price declines as opportunities to build conviction rather than reasons to sell. Insider Monkey’s first-quarter 2026 database shows that 118 prominent hedge funds had long positions in GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV), up from 115 in the previous quarter. Philippe Laffont’s Coatue Management retains a $2.24 billion stake, leveraging GE Vernova’s position as a key bottleneck supplier for AI data center energy requirements.
Insider Monkey’s Verdict
GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV) is going through a classic high-growth transition, with temporary operational frictions in legacy divisions far outweighed by a historical demand tailwind. While a $0.57 EPS miss and a high valuation multiple fueled short-term volatility, the company’s fundamental argument has never been better. A $176 billion backlog, $11.5 billion or more in annual free cash flow, and 88% organic order growth demonstrate that GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV) is still an essential component of the AI power grid transition landscape.
While we acknowledge the risk and potential of GEV as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some other AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is much cheaper than GEV and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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