Investing.com -- Bernstein initiated coverage of the U.S. multi-industrials and electrical equipment sector in a note on Wednesday, flagging Vertiv and nVent as its outperform-rated picks in data center power and cooling, with price targets implying 30% to 40% upside for each.

Analyst Varun Govindaraj said they "have real technical moats" and are well-positioned even as data center growth eventually tapers.

The initiations come as data center buildouts have "reweighed where capital is flowing" across the broader industrials landscape, Bernstein said.

Among HVAC names, Bernstein also initiated coverage of Trane Technologies and Johnson Controls at Outperform.

The firm described Trane as "great operators" well-integrated into the data center cooling landscape, while Johnson Controls was highlighted for a lean transformation "showing strong results" alongside near-term chiller tailwinds.

Carrier was rated Market-Perform, with Bernstein citing "multiple competing forces," including a positive data center outlook offset by a negative U.S. residential backdrop and mixed signals from its Viessmann business.

In automation, Bernstein rates Emerson Outperform, pointing to tailwinds in process automation and a favorable outlook for test and measurement. Rockwell Automation and Honeywell were both rated Market-Perform, with Bernstein saying Rockwell's story appears largely priced in, and calling Honeywell "still a 'show me' story."

Elsewhere, Bernstein rated Parker-Hannifin Outperform, calling it "an outstandingly well-run company," while assigning 3M an Underperform rating, citing concerns that its R&D engine remains impaired and that PFAS liabilities remain an overhang. Otis Worldwide was also initiated at Outperform.