Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

CDW (CDW - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.91 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.8 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.6 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +3.93%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this information technology company would post earnings of $2.28 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.28, delivering no surprise.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.

CDW, which belongs to the Zacks Computers - IT Services industry, posted revenues of $6.57 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.07%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $5.98 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

CDW shares have added about 13.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 13%.

What's Next for CDW?While CDW has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for CDW was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $2.91 on $5.99 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $10.75 on $23.57 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Computers - IT Services is currently in the bottom 38% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Serve Robotics Inc. (SERV - Free Report) , another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 6.

This company is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.69 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -91.7%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

Serve Robotics Inc.'s revenues are expected to be $3.54 million, up 452.7% from the year-ago quarter.

Key Takeaways CDW is set to report Q2 results Aug. 5, with management expecting high single-digit non-GAAP EPS growth.CDW expects AI-driven infrastructure demand, backlog and customer activity to support quarterly performance.CDW sees stronger second-half momentum from services, while hardware shipment delays keep backlog high. CDW Corporation (CDW - Free Report) is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results before market open on Aug. 5.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is set at $6.3 billion, representing a 4.7% increase from the prior-year quarter. 

The consensus estimate for earnings is pegged at $2.80 per share, up 1.3% in the past 60 days, indicating a 7.7% increase from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure. Management expects second-quarter non-GAAP net income per share to be in the high single digits year over year.

CDW’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters, with the average surprise being 3.3%.

Key Factors Investors Should Watch for CDW’s Q2 EarningsCDW’s second-quarter performance is expected to have been driven by customer demand across corporate, government, education and healthcare markets, as well as the company's ability to capitalize on AI-driven infrastructure investment, despite ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty. AI continues to reshape enterprise technology investments. Companies are increasingly deploying AI-ready servers, high-performance storage, networking equipment and data center infrastructure. CDW, with its broad portfolio of hardware, software and IT services, is well-positioned to benefit from this trend.

The company expects strong performance in the to-be-reported quarter and beyond, driven by backlog and customer activity. Supply chain and demand uncertainties remain, but the outlook is cautiously optimistic with a focus on quarterly results. CDW expects second-quarter non-GAAP SG&A expenses to be modestly higher sequentially. However, operating expenses as a percentage of gross profit are projected to decline sequentially due to seasonal factors and remain broadly in line with the year-ago second quarter.

Government, education, commercial, international and healthcare customers account for a lion’s share of CDW's revenue. First-quarter results demonstrated this diversification, with commercial growth of nearly 10%, government growth of almost 5%, education growth of 3% and international growth of 17.9%. Corporate, healthcare and financial services customers all contributed to commercial expansion, while double-digit growth in state and local government offset weakness in federal spending. K-12 demand remained healthy despite difficult comparisons, and both the U.K. and Canada delivered double-digit growth.

For the second quarter, we expect revenues from Total Commercial, Government and Education to be $3.9 billion, $685 million and $916.7 million, respectively. Revenues from the International part are estimated to be $627 million, down 6.7%.

The company anticipates a more balanced demand environment in the second half, with no significant demand destruction expected. CDW expects netted-down revenues, along with professional and managed services, to gain momentum in the second half of 2026 and continue to outpace overall business growth in the long term. Hardware shipment delays keep backlog elevated. Meanwhile, higher-value AI deals and expanding professional and managed services are expected to support recurring revenue and drive margin expansion over time.

Management remains committed to maintaining leverage within its targeted 2X-3X range while evaluating acquisition opportunities aligned with its growth strategy. In addition, Geared for Growth initiatives are expected to begin contributing productivity benefits in the second half of 2026. In May, the board authorized an additional $1 billion for share repurchases, increasing its total remaining buyback capacity to approximately $1.48 billion from the amount remaining as of March 31, 2026. Future authorizations remain subject to board approval.

Potential variability remains tied to recession risks, geopolitical developments, pricing volatility and additional supply disruptions that could alter customer purchasing patterns, weighing on CDW’s overall performance.

What Our Model Displays for CDWOur proven model predicts an earnings beat for CDW this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. That is exactly the case here.

CDW currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.95% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Other Stocks With the Favorable CombinationHere are three other stocks you may want to consider, as our model shows that these too have the right elements to post an earnings beat in this reporting cycle.

Arista Networks (ANET - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.08% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. 

ANET is scheduled to report quarterly earnings on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ANET’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at 89 cents per share and $2.83 billion, respectively. Shares of ANET have gained 39% in the past year.

Caterpillar (CAT - Free Report) presently has an Earnings ESP of +4.96% and a Zacks Rank #3. CAT is scheduled to report quarterly numbers on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Caterpillar’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at $6.25 per share and $19.31 billion, respectively. Shares of CAT have risen 93.7% in the past year.

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.56% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. AMD is scheduled to report quarterly figures on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMD’s to-be-reported quarter’s earnings and revenues is pegged at $1.61 per share and $11.32 billion, respectively. Shares of AMD have skyrocketed 153.3% in the past year.

Key Takeaways CDW posted 9% higher Q1 2026 net sales as AI infrastructure investments boosted hardware demand.CDW's full-stack model supports AI deployment through hardware, software and integration services.CDW expanded AI capabilities with GPU-as-a-service access and internal AI productivity initiatives. CDW Corporation (CDW - Free Report) is benefiting from growing demand for AI infrastructure as organizations move beyond experimentation and begin deploying AI in production environments. In the first quarter of 2026, the company delivered strong results driven by AI-related investments and ongoing infrastructure modernization. Customers across industries increased spending on networking, storage, servers, power and cooling solutions as they worked to support AI workloads and address supply constraints.

This demand contributed to a 9% year-over-year increase in net sales, with infrastructure hardware emerging as a major growth driver. CDW also reported strong software demand, particularly for platforms focused on AI readiness, productivity, collaboration and security.

The company believes the shift from AI exploration to large-scale implementation plays directly to its strengths. As organizations deploy AI, they face increasing challenges related to infrastructure design, data management, security, governance and operational execution. CDW’s full-stack model, which combines hardware, software, advisory services and implementation expertise, enables customers to build and manage AI environments more effectively. Management highlighted that AI adoption is driving demand not only for compute resources but also for services that help customers integrate AI into existing technology environments and achieve measurable business outcomes.

CDW is expanding its AI capabilities through internal initiatives and strategic partnerships. The company continues to embed AI across its operations through programs aimed at improving productivity, sales effectiveness and operational efficiency. In addition, CDW recently established a relationship that provides customers access to high-performance AI infrastructure through a flexible GPU-as-a-service model, helping address growing demand for accelerated computing resources. Management stated that AI is increasing wallet share opportunities while also attracting new customers that require broader technology integration capabilities.

CDW expects AI-related investments to remain an important growth catalyst throughout 2026. While management remains cautious about macroeconomic uncertainty and supply-chain dynamics, it continues to expect market outperformance and sees rising demand for AI infrastructure, integration and execution services strengthening the company’s long-term growth opportunity. As AI adoption expands across industries, CDW appears well-positioned to benefit from customers’ increasing need for scalable, end-to-end technology solutions.

Taking a Look at CDW’s CompetitorsVertiv Holdings Co (VRT - Free Report) remains leveraged to rising data center power and thermal needs as AI deployments drive higher infrastructure density and faster build cycles. In first-quarter 2026, the company showed continued demand and execution, with organic sales growth led by the Americas and higher profitability supported by productivity and price-cost. Management raised 2026 guidance and is investing in capacity, services and engineering, while acquisitions extend capabilities in liquid cooling and heat rejection. A strengthened balance sheet following investment-grade ratings and refinancing supports this investment cycle. For the second quarter of 2026, Vertiv expects net sales of $3.25 billion to $3.45 billion (20% to 24% year-over-year growth).

ServiceNow, Inc. (NOW - Free Report) is embedding AI, data connectivity, workflow execution, security and governance into its commercial tiers, with Context Engine grounding AI decisions in live enterprise context. The company is expanding agentic capabilities through offerings such as Autonomous Workforce and Build Agent Skills, which allow developers to deploy custom agents directly onto the platform with built-in controls. Management continues to frame ServiceNow as an AI control tower addressing a total addressable market above $600 billion, supporting a multi-year opportunity across IT, employee, CRM and security workflows. Now Assist demand remains a key driver, with management stating it is on track to exceed the 2026 target of $1 billion in ACV.

CDW Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of CDW have gained 8% in the past three months against the Computers - IT Services industry’s decline of 8.9%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Valuation-wise, CDW seems attractive, as suggested by the Value Score of B. CDW trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 12.31, below the industry’s 16.51.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CDW’s earnings for 2026 has been revised marginally upward over the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

CDW currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.