Computacenter has raised its full-year profit outlook after record first-half trading driven by demand for digital infrastructure, AI-related projects, and strong growth in North America.
The FTSE 100 technology and services group reported gross invoiced income of £8.93bn for the six months to 30 June, up 57.6% year on year. Revenue increased 71.6% to £6.85bn, while adjusted profit before tax rose 87% to £152.4m.
Computacenter now expects adjusted profit before tax for 2026 to be at least £380m, significantly above its compiled analyst consensus of £340.9m before the update. The company entered the second half with a committed product order backlog of £9.3bn.
Chief executive Mike Norris said: “Computacenter delivered a record first half, significantly ahead of our expectations at the start of the year.”
North America accounted for the largest share of growth. Adjusted operating profit in the region increased sharply, supported by hyperscale, neocloud, and enterprise customers buying data centre, networking, computing, and professional services capacity.
The UK business also accelerated. Technology Sourcing revenue more than tripled, which Computacenter attributed largely to AI-related infrastructure projects alongside growth with enterprise and public-sector customers.
The results provide another indication that the economics of artificial intelligence extend beyond model developers. Building and operating AI systems requires servers, networking, storage, power infrastructure, integration, cybersecurity, and professional services. Companies positioned inside that physical and operational supply chain can benefit even when they do not develop AI models themselves.
That spending pattern is also changing the mix of revenue. High-volume technology sourcing can produce substantial gross profit while carrying lower percentage margins than services. Computacenter’s group gross margin fell from 12.6% to 9.6%, even as total gross profit increased by more than 30%.
The distinction is important when assessing infrastructure-led technology growth. Rapid expansion in revenue does not necessarily produce proportionate margin expansion because expensive hardware can pass through the income statement with comparatively modest mark-ups. Operating leverage, procurement scale, services attachment, and customer concentration become critical to profitability.
Computacenter has also expanded through acquisitions. It completed purchases of AgreeYa and Government Acquisitions Inc in North America, adding professional-services capability and exposure to the US federal-government technology market.
The wider enterprise technology market is being reshaped by AI investment but remains uneven. Large customers are directing substantial budgets into accelerated computing and data centres, while other IT spending can be delayed as organisations reprioritise capital. Computacenter said component-price inflation linked to AI demand is affecting the wider market and expects higher IT product prices to persist.
Suppliers able to secure scarce equipment and deploy complex infrastructure quickly can gain strategic value, but rapid hardware cycles and concentrated customer spending can make revenue more volatile. Customers also expect integrators to support assets after deployment rather than simply deliver equipment.
Computacenter’s services business provides one counterweight. Organic Services revenue rose 9%, led by Professional Services, while Managed Services revenue declined. The group has continued investing in its own systems, including CRM, service management, ERP design, integration centres, and cybersecurity.
The company’s £9.3bn order backlog gives greater visibility into demand than headline revenue growth alone. It also illustrates the scale of capital commitments being made around digital infrastructure, particularly in North America.
After joining the FTSE 100 in June, Computacenter enters the second half with a larger revenue base, higher profit expectations, and greater exposure to AI infrastructure. Sustaining that performance will depend on converting the unusually large backlog efficiently while maintaining margin discipline as hardware volumes continue to rise.
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