Schneider Electric raises full-year outlook after record H1

Schneider Electric on Thursday reported record first-half 2026 results and raised its full-year outlook, citing booming demand from cloud companies building data centers to support artificial intelligence workloads.

The French industrial group posted revenues of €21.2 billion for the first half, up 14% on an organic basis, with second-quarter revenues reaching a record €11.5 billion on 17% organic growth. Adjusted EBITA of €4.09 billion beat analysts' expectations of €3.8 billion in a company-provided consensus.reuters+1

Upgraded Outlook

Schneider now expects organic revenue growth of 10% to 13% for the full year, up from a prior range of 7% to 10%, according to Reuters. The company also raised its EBITA growth forecast to between 14% and 19%, from the previous 10% to 15% range.aol+1

"The guidance upgrade reflects what management described as strong execution and broad-based demand across all end markets and geographies," the company said in its presentation.investing

Data Centers and AI Drive Growth

Bloomberg reported that an AI-driven spending spree drove "unprecedented demand" for Schneider's data center equipment. Data centers and semiconductors delivered triple-digit demand growth in the second quarter, according to the company's presentation.bloomberg+1

Schneider announced two acquisitions during the period to bolster its technology capabilities: a $3.1 billion deal for Cognite, an industrial data and AI platform company, and the purchase of AiDASH, which provides AI-powered solutions for utility grid infrastructure.investing

The company also highlighted a partnership with SoftBank targeting 3.1 GW of AI data center capacity in France by 2031, with potential expansion to 5 GW. Schneider is investing in a new prefabricated data center power module plant in Dunkirk, France, as part of the collaboration.investing

Regional Strength

North America led regional performance with 23.1% organic growth, driven by U.S. data center demand, while China and East Asia posted 19.7% growth supported by semiconductor and data center momentum. Net income rose 30% to €2.5 billion, and free cash flow reached €1.6 billion, up 244% year-over-year.investing

CEO Olivier Blum characterized the period as a "record H1," with the company's Energy Management division delivering 18% organic growth in the second quarter and Industrial Automation posting 11% organic growth.investing