Computacenter Expects Profit of at Least £380 Million in 2026
Key Facts
The company said strong third-quarter performance carried into the start of the fourth quarter, and that it raised its outlook on the back of this momentum. The new guidance means the lower end of its forecast is now above the top of the current consensus range. This follows September guidance of at least £380 million, which the company described at the time as significantly ahead of market expectations.
The company cited sustained demand for digital infrastructure and a strong pipeline of commercial opportunities in North America and the UK. It said customer demand for infrastructure technologies, including from hyperscalers and emerging cloud providers, supported technology sourcing activity. Computacenter linked its strong third-quarter performance to these drivers and progress in fulfilling orders. The update puts orders and demand for digital infrastructure at the heart of the explanation for the higher full-year outlook.
These developments follow strong first-half growth, when revenue reached £6,845.2 million, up 71.6% from £3,988.8 million in the corresponding period of 2025. Adjusted profit before tax rose 87.0% to £152.4 million, compared with £81.5 million a year earlier. The company attributed that performance to demand for digital infrastructure, with particular strength in North America driven by hyperscalers, emerging cloud providers and businesses. In its results, it said the decline in gross margin reflected the targeted, rapid growth of high-volume technology sourcing activity in North America and the UK. Revenue and profit growth therefore coincided with margin pressure as the business mix shifted towards high-volume technology sourcing.
North America stood out as the most important geographic driver of first-half results, with adjusted operating profit there rising 148.4% year on year at constant currency. The region accounted for 62% of the group’s adjusted operating profit before central costs, compared with 44% in the first half of 2025. This shift reflects the region’s growing weight in group profit alongside expanding demand for digital infrastructure. North America’s importance is also consistent with the company’s reference to a strong pipeline of opportunities there in its October update. The UK remains among the growth drivers cited by the company, particularly in high-volume technology sourcing.
The comparison highlights diverging trends across business units: services grew, while managed services contracted during the period. At the same time, the company said the expansion of high-volume technology sourcing reduced the gross margin percentage, despite contributing to revenue growth. This divergence underscores the importance of the business mix in interpreting results, alongside overall demand growth. The company did not provide a separate figure for the performance of these activities in the new update.
EL7 data showed Computacenter closing at 4,590 pence on 23 October, three days before the company issued its update. Available evidence does not include a later price or share movement on the announcement day, so the cited close remains a pre-update reference rather than a market response to it. The company had already issued the update on 26 October, contrary to the date previously shown on the events page. The next scheduled trading update is a pre-close update on 28 January 2027. That will be the next announced opportunity to update investors on the financial year’s progress.