Hardman Johnston Global Advisors, an investment management firm, issued its investor letter for the Hardman Johnston Large Cap Equity Strategy for the first quarter of 2026. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The strategy achieved a return of 0.68% (gross) and 0.57% (net) during this period, in contrast to a -4.33% return for the S&P 500 Total Return Index. Companies with robust backlogs of customer business were rewarded, while those with more economically sensitive clients faced underperformance. Looking beyond the immediate disruptions, the firm believes the overall outlook for the U.S. economy remains positive. Please review the Strategy’s top five holdings to gain insights into their key selections for 2026.
In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, Hardman Johnston Large Cap Equity Strategy highlighted Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT). Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) is a critical infrastructure solutions provider for data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial environments. On July 1, 2026, Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) closed at $311.42 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $119.61 billion. Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) posted a one-month return of -3.86%, while its shares gained 143.60% over the past 52 weeks.
Hardman Johnston Large Cap Equity Strategy stated the following regarding Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“The best contributors were led by Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT), Advanced Energy Industries, Inc., and Curtiss Wright Corporation. All three saw customer order growth adding to already strong backlogs in their respective fields of computing infrastructure, and aerospace/nuclear power. We continue to monitor their business closely for cracks in the foundation but remain confident that they are essential to customers and the prospects for growth are solid.”
Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) is ranked 38th on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 96 hedge fund portfolios held Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 112 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some 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 more promising than Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
In another article, we covered Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) and shared the list of best AI power grid stocks to buy according to analysts. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q1 2026 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
