Computacenter lifts profit target as AI-driven order backlog hits record high

Computacenter announced that it has lifted its annual adjusted pre-tax profit guidance to a minimum of £425 million, up from the £387 million analysts had projected. The revision follows a third-quarter performance that exceeded expectations, notably robust revenue from its technology sourcing arm. At the close of September the company reported a record backlog of orders valued at £12.6 billion, a rise from £9.3 billion at the end of June, driven by growing demand for AI-related infrastructure such as large data centres and cloud computing platforms.

Customers are increasingly prioritising AI projects, which has spurred demand for the hardware and software components needed to support them, while supply constraints have pushed component prices higher. The firm, which was promoted to the FTSE 100 in June, expects the strong pipeline to sustain earnings growth through the year.