Best Data Center Infrastructure Stocks for 2026

December 21, 2025 | Best Stocks |

Data centers are entering a new build cycle — one driven by AI training and inference, high-density power delivery, liquid cooling, networking bottlenecks, and a global race to expand compute capacity. The winners won’t just be the biggest names. They’ll be the companies that supply the infrastructure layer: power, cooling, networking, racks, servers, colocation, and the industrial build-out that turns demand into real megawatts.

Below are the Top 20 Data Center Infrastructure Stocks for 2026 — ranked using our Best List medal system and scored across Innovation, Sector Importance, Future Potential, and Moonshot Energy.

---

🥇 Gold Pick — Vertiv (VRT)

Innovation: ★★★★☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★★
Future Potential: ★★★★★
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★☆

Vertiv is one of the purest “picks-and-shovels” winners in the AI data-center boom. Power distribution, thermal management, and next-gen cooling (including liquid cooling) are becoming mission-critical as rack densities rise. When AI pushes the physical limits of compute, Vertiv sits right at the choke point — and that is exactly where the best infrastructure businesses are built.

---

🥈 Silver Pick — Equinix (EQIX)

Innovation: ★★★☆☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★★
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★☆

Equinix remains the gold standard in global colocation and interconnection. AI is accelerating traffic, storage, and hybrid cloud demand, and EQIX benefits from the network gravity effect: once customers and partners are clustered inside the same facilities, switching costs rise and the platform compounds. It’s not flashy — it’s foundational.

---

🥉 Bronze Pick — Broadcom (AVGO)

Innovation: ★★★★☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★★
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★☆

Broadcom is a data-center empire hiding in plain sight: networking silicon, switching, connectivity, and enterprise infrastructure software. As AI clusters scale, the network becomes the system — and AVGO has deep exposure to the parts that keep those clusters moving. If the “AI factory” is the new industrial revolution, Broadcom supplies the arteries.

---

4. Digital Realty (DLR)

Innovation: ★★★☆☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★★
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★☆☆

Digital Realty is one of the most direct public-market plays on the global data-center footprint. AI workloads amplify demand for power-ready capacity, and DLR’s scale and customer mix make it a key beneficiary as enterprises and hyperscalers expand.

5. Eaton (ETN)

Innovation: ★★★★☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★★
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★☆☆

AI data centers are power problems first. Eaton’s electrical equipment and power-management footprint put it right in the center of the buildout: switchgear, breakers, and the infrastructure that safely delivers megawatts at scale.

6. Quanta Services (PWR)

Innovation: ★★★☆☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★★
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★☆☆

PWR is an “America builds” beneficiary. Data-center growth forces grid upgrades, transmission work, and electrical infrastructure investment — exactly the kind of multi-year, high-demand work Quanta is built to execute.

7. Marvell (MRVL)

Innovation: ★★★★☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★★
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★☆

Marvell is levered to the guts of modern data centers: connectivity, custom silicon momentum, and the high-speed plumbing that keeps AI clusters fed.

8. Credo Technology (CRDO)

Innovation: ★★★★★
Sector Importance: ★★★★☆
Future Potential: ★★★★★
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★★

As AI networking pushes into faster interconnect standards, Credo’s positioning in high-speed connectivity makes it a high-upside infrastructure name. When bandwidth becomes the bottleneck, the specialists matter.

9. Super Micro Computer (SMCI)

Innovation: ★★★★☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★☆
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★☆

SMCI sits at the server integration layer — where AI demand turns into real racks and real deployments. It’s a high-beta name, but it remains a key participant in the AI server ecosystem.

10. Dell Technologies (DELL)

Innovation: ★★★☆☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★☆
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★☆☆

Dell is a steady beneficiary of enterprise infrastructure refresh cycles as AI expands compute needs across storage, servers, and private-cloud builds.

11. DigitalBridge Group (DBRG)

Innovation: ★★★☆☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★☆
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★☆☆

DigitalBridge is a capital-and-platform lever on digital infrastructure. In a data-center boom, owners, operators, and capital allocators can benefit even when the “winners” rotate among hyperscalers.

12. Prologis (PLD)

Innovation: ★★☆☆☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★☆
Future Potential: ★★★☆☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★☆☆☆

Prologis is included as a “real-world infrastructure” proxy: land, logistics, and strategic sites matter when physical buildouts accelerate. It’s not a pure AI play — it’s a supply-chain and footprint stabilizer.

13. Iron Mountain (IRM)

Innovation: ★★☆☆☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★☆
Future Potential: ★★★☆☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★☆☆

IRM has expanded into data centers alongside its legacy storage business. It’s an unusual hybrid — but one with increasing relevance as data and compute footprints expand.

14. FuelCell Energy (BE)

Innovation: ★★★★☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★☆
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★☆

Power reliability is a data-center priority, and alternative on-site generation remains a long-tail theme. BE is higher risk, but it represents the “energy edge” angle of compute growth.

15. Fluence (FLNC)

Innovation: ★★★★☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★☆
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★☆

As AI pushes grid strain, energy storage becomes part of the infrastructure story. FLNC provides exposure to the buffering and stabilization layer that helps power-hungry facilities operate smoothly.

16. ON Semiconductor (ON)

Innovation: ★★★☆☆
Sector Importance: ★★★★☆
Future Potential: ★★★☆☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★☆☆

Power semiconductors matter more as data centers scale. ON is a “quiet enabler” pick — not a pure-play, but relevant to power efficiency and conversion.

17. Applied Digital (APLD)

Innovation: ★★★★☆
Sector Importance: ★★★☆☆
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★☆

APLD represents the “new wave” infrastructure cohort where high-density compute and AI demand can reshape the company’s trajectory quickly. Higher risk — but high optionality if execution stays aligned with the AI buildout.

18. CoreWeave (CRWV)

Innovation: ★★★★★
Sector Importance: ★★★★☆
Future Potential: ★★★★★
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★★

CoreWeave is AI-centric cloud infrastructure at hyperscale speed. It’s a compute-capacity story and a “GPU cloud” style lever on the AI build cycle. If AI capacity remains scarce, specialist platforms can capture premium demand. (Ticker/company verified.)

Note: CRWV is CoreWeave, Inc. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

19. Nebius Group (NBIS)

Innovation: ★★★★☆
Sector Importance: ★★★☆☆
Future Potential: ★★★★☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★☆

Nebius is an AI infrastructure and services story with a global footprint angle. It’s included for compute infrastructure exposure and AI platform optionality. (Ticker/company verified.)

Note: NBIS is Nebius Group N.V. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

20. Hut 8 (HUT)

Innovation: ★★★☆☆
Sector Importance: ★★★☆☆
Future Potential: ★★★☆☆
Moonshot Energy: ★★★★☆

HUT is included as a “compute infrastructure crossover” name. While historically associated with crypto infrastructure, the broader theme is power + facilities + compute. Higher volatility — but it fits the edge of the data-center build cycle.

---

Final Ranking Table

Rank	Company	Ticker
1	Vertiv	VRT
2	Equinix	EQIX
3	Broadcom	AVGO
4	Digital Realty	DLR
5	Eaton	ETN
6	Quanta Services	PWR
7	Marvell	MRVL
8	Credo Technology	CRDO
9	Super Micro Computer	SMCI
10	Dell Technologies	DELL
11	DigitalBridge Group	DBRG
12	Prologis	PLD
13	Iron Mountain	IRM
14	Bloom Energy	BE
15	Fluence	FLNC
16	ON Semiconductor	ON
17	Applied Digital	APLD
18	CoreWeave	CRWV
19	Nebius Group	NBIS
20	Hut 8	HUT

---

SEO Package

SEO Title: Best Data Center Infrastructure Stocks for 2026 (AI Power, Cooling & Compute Leaders)

Slug: best-data-center-infrastructure-stocks-2026

Meta Description: The Top 20 Data Center Infrastructure Stocks for 2026 — ranked with Gold/Silver/Bronze medals and scored across Innovation, Sector Importance, Future Potential, and Moonshot Energy.

Focus Keywords: best data center stocks 2026, data center infrastructure stocks, AI infrastructure stocks, power and cooling stocks, colocation stocks, data center REITs, AI build cycle

Featured Image Alt Text: Best Data Center Infrastructure Stocks for 2026 – AI power cooling compute