Shares in Computacenter surged on Friday after the FTSE 250 IT supplier upgraded its profit forecast, citing a surge in customer demand. The Hertfordshire-based company now expects to deliver a much stronger performance for 2026, with pre-tax profit set to come in well ahead of market expectations of £291 million.
Demand Driven by Supply Chain Issues
Computacenter noted that customers are ordering IT products further in advance than usual to secure supply, as hardware component shortages continue to affect the IT industry. This proactive ordering behavior has driven a strong start to the year.
The company stated: "We remain mindful of the uncertain macroeconomic and geopolitical environment and a tougher comparative in the second half of the year. However, after a strong start to the year and assuming no significant deterioration to the external backdrop, we now anticipate delivering full-year results comfortably ahead of market expectations."
Market Reaction
In early trading on Friday, Computacenter shares rose as much as five percent to 3,500p. The stock has gained approximately 20 percent since the start of 2026, reflecting investor optimism about the company's performance.
The upgraded forecast underscores the resilience of IT spending despite broader economic uncertainties. Analysts view the supply chain-driven demand as a temporary tailwind, but Computacenter's ability to capitalize on it has boosted confidence in its near-term outlook.
