The FTSE 250 is close to reaching a new record high in 2026, and investors who’ve been busy buying UK shares have already locked in some solid gains.

In fact, since the start of the year, the index is up 4.6%, turning a £3,750 investment into £3,922.50. That’s a respectable gain for index investors in the space of just five months. But it pales in comparison with what some smarter stock pickers have earned.

One standout is Computacenter (LSE:CCC), which has climbed 58.8% over the same period. That means the same £3,750 investment is now worth £5,955!

So what’s behind this sharp outperformance?

Why Computacenter shares are on the march

As a quick crash course, Computacenter’s an IT services and technology partner that helps large organisations buy, manage, and support their hardware, software, and cloud infrastructure.

The firm sits in the middle of the enterprise tech machine, helping businesses keep their systems running and their digital projects moving. And it earns its revenue from a mix of product sales, services, and long-term customer relationships.

It’s far from a flashy artificial intelligence (AI) pure play. But it does benefit when businesses keep spending on technology modernisation, infrastructure refreshes, and managed services. As a result, the aggressive build-out of AI infrastructure has proven to be quite a powerful tailwind.

Computacenter’s latest first quarter trading update puts this momentum on full display. Trading performance has exceeded expectations with gross invoiced income rising 22% rate on a constant currency basis, and services revenues continuing to build. Thanks to hyperscalers, North America was especially strong, while the UK and Germany also contributed to the stronger-than-expected start to the year.

With robust demand emerging from across the board, the stock has unsurprisingly taken off. And since this momentum stems from a series of widespread spending upgrades rather than any single large lucky contract, the quality of these newfound profits appears to be fairly high.

Given that AI infrastructure spending is showing little signs of slowing, and that Computacenter is uniquely positioned to profit from the second wave of AI software integration, the growth so far might just be the tip of the iceberg. So is this a no-brainer?

Understanding the risks

The bull case for buying shares today is largely driven by the expectation that companies will continue to spend on AI and other technologies, driving up demand for Computacenter’s services.

While I remain confident this scenario seems likely, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that Computacenter is still a cyclical business whose fate is ultimately tied to enterprise IT budgets.

If customers delay hardware refreshes, cut back on tech projects, or become more cautious on AI spending, growth could slow quickly. And following such a strong share price rally, that could spark some unwanted volatility.

Even so, Computacenter has shown that it can adapt and capitalise on major opportunities when they emerge. That points to talented execution skills from the leadership team. And providing the group remains disciplined, there could be considerably more room to grow from here.

That’s why, despite the risks, I think Computacenter shares are worth a closer look.

Should you invest £5,000 in Computacenter Plc right now?

When investing expert Mark Rogers and his team have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Twelfth Magpie Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets.

And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if Computacenter Plc made the list?

Zaven Boyrazian does not hold any positions in the companies mentioned.