Softcat CFO Kathryn Mecklenburgh spent £100,000 on shares on April 27, betting the AI-driven demand for IT services will outlast the memory chip shortage. The IT services company just posted a 22.6% jump in gross profit to £270mn over six months to January, fueled by strong corporate customer performance and surging cybersecurity demand.

A rush to build data centres has sent memory chip prices soaring, prompting some customers to pull forward orders. Softcat management acknowledges the shortage situation "remains uncertain," yet the CFO's insider trade signals confidence the AI-driven software investment wave is structural rather than temporary.

Mecklenburgh's conviction that the surge in software investment is structural, not temporary, is reflected in her share purchase of £100,000 on April 27. Whether that bet pays off depends on whether the memory shortage eases quickly enough for the momentum to hold.