ESP vs. POWL

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

ESP (Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp.) and POWL (Powell Industries, Inc.) are both stocks. Both operate in the Electrical Equipment & Parts industry within the Industrials sector. Over the past 10 years, ESP returned 12.34%/yr vs 41.44%/yr for POWL. At a 0.08 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ESP vs. POWL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp. (ESP) and Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ESP achieves a 23.29% return, which is significantly lower than POWL's 181.68% return. Over the past 10 years, ESP has underperformed POWL with an annualized return of 12.34%, while POWL has yielded a comparatively higher 41.44% annualized return.

ESP

• 1D: 0.42%
• 1M: -18.52%
• YTD: 23.29%
• 6M: 49.27%
• 1Y: 63.67%
• 3Y*: 56.43%
• 5Y*: 34.13%
• 10Y*: 12.34%

POWL

• 1D: 3.80%
• 1M: 8.66%
• YTD: 181.68%
• 6M: 178.43%
• 1Y: 421.05%
• 3Y*: 145.60%
• 5Y*: 95.43%
• 10Y*: 41.44%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ESP vs. POWL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ESP Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp.	23.29%	63.34%	66.83%	35.47%	-0.07%	-24.87%	-7.86%	-9.61%	11.35%	-3.99%
POWL Powell Industries, Inc.	181.68%	44.49%	152.21%	155.62%	24.34%	3.60%	-37.60%	101.58%	-9.92%	-24.00%

Correlation

The correlation between ESP and POWL is 0.18, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.18
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.17
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.12
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.12
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 18, 1992	0.08

The correlation between ESP and POWL shifts across timeframes, from 0.08 (all time) to 0.18 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap ESP : $166.95M POWL : $10.93B
EPS ESP : $3.79 POWL : $5.12
PE Ratio ESP : 15.27 POWL : 58.43
PEG Ratio ESP : 0.21 POWL : 0.09
PS Ratio ESP : 3.89 POWL : 9.65
PB Ratio ESP : 2.96 POWL : 15.41
Total Revenue (TTM) ESP : $42.25M POWL : $1.13B
Gross Profit (TTM) ESP : $15.43M POWL : $340.78M
EBITDA (TTM) ESP : $11.61M POWL : $236.11M

Return for Risk

ESP vs. POWL — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ESP

ESP Risk / Return Rank: 73
ESP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 76
ESP Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
ESP Omega Ratio Rank: 69
ESP Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
ESP Martin Ratio Rank: 73

POWL

POWL Risk / Return Rank: 98
POWL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 99
POWL Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
POWL Omega Ratio Rank: 97
POWL Calmar Ratio Rank: 99
POWL Martin Ratio Rank: 99

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ESP vs. POWL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp. (ESP) and Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ESP	POWL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.23	7.27	-6.04
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.72	5.38	-3.67
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.67	-0.44
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.21	13.94	-11.73
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.55	45.01	-40.46
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ESP vs. POWL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ESP Sharpe Ratio is 1.23, which is lower than the POWL Sharpe Ratio of 7.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ESP and POWL, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ESP	POWL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.23	7.27	-6.04
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.80	1.50	-0.70
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.33	0.76	-0.44
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.36	0.29	+0.07

Drawdowns

ESP vs. POWL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ESP drawdown since its inception was -54.43%, smaller than the maximum POWL drawdown of -73.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ESP and POWL.

Drawdown Indicators

	ESP	POWL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-54.43%	-73.10%	+18.67%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-29.09%	-30.88%	+1.79%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-29.09%	-55.76%	+26.67%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.59%	-55.76%	+22.17%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-54.43%	-68.85%	+14.42%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-19.90%	-7.10%	-12.80%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.01%	-36.12%	+21.11%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	14.14%	9.56%	+4.58%

Volatility

ESP vs. POWL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp. (ESP) is 15.03%, while Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL) has a volatility of 19.76%. This indicates that ESP experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than POWL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ESP	POWL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	15.03%	19.76%	-4.73%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	37.98%	42.59%	-4.61%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	51.90%	58.37%	-6.47%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	42.82%	64.06%	-21.24%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	38.00%	54.67%	-16.67%

Dividends

ESP vs. POWL - Dividend Comparison

ESP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.03%, more than POWL's 0.12% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ESP Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp.	3.03%	3.71%	2.90%	2.67%	0.00%	0.00%	5.29%	4.63%	8.03%	4.17%	3.84%	3.88%
POWL Powell Industries, Inc.	0.12%	0.34%	0.48%	1.19%	2.96%	3.53%	3.53%	2.12%	4.16%	3.63%	2.67%	4.00%

Financials

ESP vs. POWL - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp. and Powell Industries, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

ESP - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp. reported a gross profit of 4.23M and revenue of 11.42M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 37.0%.

POWL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Powell Industries, Inc. reported a gross profit of 87.94M and revenue of 296.62M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 29.7%.

ESP - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp. reported an operating income of 2.98M and revenue of 11.42M, resulting in an operating margin of 26.1%.

POWL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Powell Industries, Inc. reported an operating income of 57.58M and revenue of 296.62M, resulting in an operating margin of 19.4%.

ESP - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Espey Mfg. & Electronics Corp. reported a net income of 2.86M and revenue of 11.42M, resulting in a net margin of 25.1%.

POWL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Powell Industries, Inc. reported a net income of 45.89M and revenue of 296.62M, resulting in a net margin of 15.5%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ESP and POWL in my portfolio?

ESP and POWL have a correlation of 0.18, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ESP or POWL?

POWL has higher volatility (19.76%) compared to ESP (15.03%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ESP dropped -54.43% vs POWL's -73.10%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

POWL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (7.27 vs 1.23), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.