Everyone knows AI needs chips.
So far, all of the investment dollars have flowed into chip companies like Nvidia as the obvious play.
But the market may be overlooking a hidden investment play in AI right now: Heat.
Data centers powering AI use a ton of heat - and heat kills computers.
Without proper cooling, there is no AI, there are no data centers, no cloud computing, and no ChatGPT.
Modine Manufacturing is one company that is aiming to solve this AI data center cooling problem.
In fact, the company has essentially switched its entire business model to capture this new opportunity.
YTD as of February 20th, 2026, shares of Modine are up 60% - as demand just keeps growing for AI, chips, and data centers.
But we need to solve the heat problem in order for AI to reach its true potential.
So the question is - How is Modine working to solve this problem? Will it be successful? And will that translate into more profits for investors?
Let’s break down Modine manufacturing from its business, to its stock future outlook, and more.
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From Truck Radiators to AI Infrastructure
For decades, Modine was about as boring as it gets.
They made radiators for trucks - that was its primary revenue source.
But Modine's leadership saw the data center boom coming - and made a big bet early.
They aggressively shifted manufacturing capacity away from auto parts and toward what they now call "Climate Solutions."
Think of their products like industrial-strength radiators for computers. Cold liquid pumps through the server racks, pulling heat away before it causes damage.
The result? Modine is now one of a small number of U.S. companies that can mass-produce the specialized liquid cooling units next-generation AI server racks require.
That’s a powerful moat that could give it a competitive edge in this space.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Modine's transformation is showing up in the financials.
Net sales jumped 24% year-over-year - from $366.4 million in Q2 FY25 to $454.4 million in Q2 FY26.
But here's something you wouldn’t expect: Modine's challenge hasn't been finding customers.
It's been making enough cooling units fast enough to meet demand.
That's a good problem to have - and management is solving it.
In late 2025, Modine opened new manufacturing facilities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and India, dedicated specifically to data center products.
Those plants are expected to hit full capacity in early 2026.
When they do, management projects that data center revenue could grow by more than 60% in fiscal 2026.
Why MOD Stock Could Still Have Room to Run
Modine stock is already up over 1,400% in the last five years, as of February 20th, 2026.
To put that in perspective, the S&P 500 is up around 77% in that same time frame.
That begs the question: Is the story over?
Here's the valuation dynamic worth understanding:
| Company Type | Typical P/E Ratio |
| Auto parts supplier | ~8x |
| Industrial tech supplier | 20x+ |
Modine is transitioning from the first category to the second.
As the market increasingly prices Modine as a tech infrastructure company - not an auto parts company - that gap could close further.
And as new plants come online and capacity constraints ease, there may be more runway ahead.
As of February 20th, 2026, Modine’s P/E ratio is around 125. This means investors are paying a high premium based on the company's growth potential.
What Are the Risks?
No opportunity comes without risk. Here's what to watch with MOD stock:
Execution risk. Modine's entire plan is for those new plants to be running at full capacity on schedule.
Any manufacturing delays could hurt revenue projections and weigh on the stock.
AI demand slowdown. The whole thesis rests on continued data center buildout.
If AI investment slows, so does demand for cooling systems.
Margin pressure. Adjusted EBITDA margin dipped from 21.5% to 16.7% year-over-year as Modine scaled up.
Investors will want to watch whether margins recover as new capacity comes online.
And the obvious one - returns like what Modine is experiencing simply cannot last forever.
Investors must understand that no investment is guaranteed and that Modine could experience operational failures that cause it to miss goals and for the stock to fall.
The Bottom Line on Modine Stock
The AI boom needs a lot more than computer chips.
It needs power.
It needs cables.
And it needs cooling - a lot of it.
Modine Manufacturing quietly repositioned itself to be exactly what the data center industry needs.
The financials are growing.
New capacity is coming.
And the valuation story could still be playing out.
Do you think that Modine stock is worth watching?
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