Computacenter Shares Surge as Q2 Performance Beats Expectations, Profit Guidance Lifted

Computacenter trading update: a clear profit upgrade and a strong message from Q2

This is the sort of trading update investors usually like. Computacenter has said second-quarter performance was ahead of its own expectations, and that has pushed first-half profit guidance sharply higher.

The headline number is simple and punchy: the group now expects first-half adjusted profit before tax to be approximately double last year’s relatively soft comparative of £81.5 million. On top of that, management says full-year 2026 results should come in comfortably ahead of market expectations.

That is a meaningful upgrade, not a polite nudge. When a company says both the half year and the full year are now looking better than expected, it tells you trading momentum has carried on through the period rather than fading after a good start.

Computacenter key numbers from the RNS

Item | What the company said
H1 2026 adjusted profit before tax | Expected to be approximately double H1 2025
H1 2025 adjusted profit before tax | £81.5 million
FY 2026 analyst consensus adjusted profit before tax | £313.7 million
Consensus range | £305.0 million to £324.3 million
Committed product order backlog at 30 June 2026 | Well ahead of 31 December 2025
Committed product order backlog at 31 December 2025 | £7.1 billion
Half-year results date | 8 September 2026

Why Computacenter’s upgraded profit guidance matters for investors

The biggest takeaway here is confidence. Companies do not casually say they expect full-year results to be comfortably ahead of market expectations unless order flow and delivery are lining up well.

In plain English, the City was looking for £313.7 million of adjusted profit before tax for full-year 2026, and management now thinks it can beat that. The exact new target is not disclosed, but the language suggests more than a token outperformance.

It matters because valuation often follows earnings. If expected profits move higher, the market has a fresh reason to re-rate the shares, assuming investors believe the improvement is sustainable rather than a one-off burst.

North America hyperscale demand looks like the engine room

The standout region in this update is North America. Computacenter says it achieved even stronger than expected volume growth with hyperscale customers, benefiting both Technology Sourcing and Professional Services.

Hyperscale customers are the very large cloud and data centre operators that buy infrastructure at massive scale. When that demand is strong, it can shift the dial quickly because contract values and volumes tend to be large.

That is important for two reasons. First, it shows Computacenter is plugged into a part of enterprise tech spending that is still moving at pace. Second, it suggests the group is not relying on just one service line, because both product-related activity and services were helped.

UK growth and AI-related projects add another layer of strength

The UK also had a very good half by the sound of it. Management highlighted excellent growth in Technology Sourcing, including further AI-related projects, plus strong growth in Professional Services.

That AI mention is worth noting, even though the company has not broken out a separate figure. It suggests Computacenter is benefiting from customers spending on the hardware and related work needed to support artificial intelligence projects.

For retail investors, this is the encouraging bit: AI is not just a fashionable label in this update. It appears alongside real commercial activity in the UK business, even if the financial contribution is not disclosed.

Germany was solid on products but services remain a weak spot

Not every line in the update is glowing. Germany delivered good growth in Technology Sourcing, but Professional Services remained subdued.

That is a reminder that this is not a perfect picture. Professional Services usually covers higher-value technical work such as design, deployment and consultancy, so softness there can matter for mix and margins, even when product volumes are healthy.

It does not spoil the overall update, but it is the main operational yellow flag in the statement. Investors will want to know in September whether Germany services are merely delayed or structurally softer.

Computacenter order backlog: why a figure above £7.1 billion is a big support

Another strong point is the backlog. Computacenter says its committed product order backlog at 30 June 2026 was well ahead of the position at 31 December 2025, when it stood at £7.1 billion.

A backlog is basically work already ordered but not yet delivered. In this case, the company defines it as committed outstanding purchase orders placed with technology vendors against non-cancellable sales orders from customers for delivery within 12 months.

That matters because it gives a degree of revenue visibility. The exact backlog at 30 June 2026 is not disclosed, but saying it is well ahead of £7.1 billion points to strong order intake and a healthy pipeline for delivery.

What is not disclosed in this trading update

There are still a few gaps, which is normal for a short trading statement. Revenue for the half is not disclosed, margins are not disclosed, and the current backlog figure is not disclosed.

The company also has not given a precise new full-year profit target. So while the tone is very positive, investors will need to wait for the half-year results on 8 September 2026 for the fuller financial picture.

The main risks hiding behind an upbeat Computacenter RNS

Management makes one caution clear: the second half faces a tougher comparative. That means the company is coming up against stronger numbers from the prior year, so maintaining the same growth rate could be harder.

There is also the usual warning that this is preliminary unaudited information. That does not mean the numbers are unreliable, but it does mean this is an update, not the final half-year report.

And while hyperscale demand is a real positive, very strong growth tied to large customers can sometimes be lumpy. The RNS gives no sign of a slowdown, but investors should remember that volume-heavy tech spending can move around from quarter to quarter.

My take on Computacenter shares after this Q2 trading update

I think this is plainly a positive announcement. The combination of stronger than expected Q2 trading, a first-half profit outcome at roughly double last year’s £81.5 million, a larger backlog, and full-year guidance comfortably ahead of consensus is hard to argue with.

The quality of the update also looks decent. Strength is showing up across North America and the UK, with AI-related projects adding a useful supporting theme, while backlog growth gives the statement more substance than a vague confidence boost.

The negatives are there, but they are manageable rather than thesis-breaking. Germany services are soft, the second half comparison is tougher, and the company has not provided every number investors might want, but none of that changes the fact that trading appears materially ahead of plan.

In short, Computacenter has told the market that 2026 is going better than expected, and by a fair margin. For existing shareholders, that is exactly the sort of update you want to see. For anyone watching the stock, 8 September 2026 now becomes the key date to test just how strong this momentum really is.