UK's Softcat boosts profit guidance on strong corporate demand for AI tech

British IT reseller Softcat raised its annual profit forecast, citing strong corporate demand for AI infrastructure and customers front‑loading orders to avoid global memory chip shortages. The company now expects mid‑teens growth in annual adjusted operating profit, up from a prior high single‑digit outlook, and reported double‑digit year‑on‑year growth in gross and adjusted operating profit in the third quarter. The results underscore robust demand for AI‑related hardware and stronger-than-expected order flows for technology infrastructure, providing a positive signal for technology suppliers and the UK market more broadly. That development is a near-term tailwind for UK tech exposure and could support performance of the UK 100 index amid supply-driven acceleration in spending on AI systems.