Rolls-Royce jumps 4% as it sees boost from both the defense boom and AI data center buildout

Orders in the company’s data center power business grew more than 50% in the first half of the year.

Skip NavigationJoin ICJoin ProLivestreamMenu

  • Rolls-Royce is benefiting from two of the largest investment trends reshaping global markets: surging defense spending and the rapid expansion of AI-driven data centers.

Rolls-Royce on Thursday hiked its full-year profit and cash flow guidance after strong earnings for the first half of the year, with the British engineering group benefiting from robust demand across its civil aerospace, defense and power systems businesses.

The FTSE 100 company posted underlying operating profit of £2.5 billion ($3.3 billion) for the first six months of the year, up 46% from a year earlier, while revenue rose over 24% to £11.3 billion. 

Rolls-Royce said it now expects full-year underlying operating profit of between £4.7 billion and £4.9 billion, up from previous guidance for between £4 billion and £4.2 billion. It sees free cash flow of £3.8 billion to £4 billion, up from between £3.6 billion and £3.8 billion previously.

Shares rose as much as 6% and were last trading up 3.6%.

Stock Chart IconStock chart iconhide contentRolls-Royce shares year-to-date

The results underscore how Rolls-Royce is becoming a beneficiary of two of the biggest investment trends reshaping global markets: surging defense spending and the rapid expansion of AI-driven data centers.

Speaking exclusively to CNBC after the results, Chief Financial Officer Helen McCabe said orders in the company’s data center power business grew more than 50% in the first half of the year as operators increasingly sought backup and on-site power solutions amid grid constraints. 

She also pointed to growing opportunities from higher defense spending, citing long-term commitments under the U.K.’s defense investment plan and NATO’s push for greater military investment.

This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.

About The Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

Easy WordPress Websites Builder: Versatile Demos for Blogs, News, eCommerce and More – One-Click Import, No Coding! 1000+ Ready-made Templates for Stunning Newspaper, Magazine, Blog, and Publishing Websites.

BlockSpare — News, Magazine and Blog Addons for (Gutenberg) Block Editor

Search the Archives

Access over the years of investigative journalism and breaking reports