POWL vs. STRL
POWL (Powell Industries, Inc.) and STRL (Sterling Construction Company, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Industrials sector — POWL in Electrical Equipment & Parts, STRL in Engineering & Construction. Over the past 10 years, POWL returned 41.44%/yr vs 66.97%/yr for STRL. At a 0.27 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
POWL vs. STRL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with POWL having a 181.68% return and STRL slightly higher at 185.90%. Over the past 10 years, POWL has underperformed STRL with an annualized return of 41.44%, while STRL has yielded a comparatively higher 66.97% annualized return.
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%
STRL
- 1D
- 3.56%
- 1M
- 64.36%
- YTD
- 185.90%
- 6M
- 167.11%
- 1Y
- 361.77%
- 3Y*
- 161.08%
- 5Y*
- 104.48%
- 10Y*
- 66.97%
POWL vs. STRL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POWL Powell Industries, Inc. | 181.68% | 44.49% | 152.21% | 155.62% | 24.34% | 3.60% | -37.60% | 101.58% | -9.92% | -24.00% |
STRL Sterling Construction Company, Inc. | 185.90% | 81.79% | 91.57% | 168.08% | 24.71% | 41.32% | 32.17% | 29.29% | -33.11% | 92.43% |
Correlation
The correlation between POWL and STRL is 0.58, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.58 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.54 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.53 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 21, 1995 | 0.27 |
Over the past year, POWL and STRL have become more correlated (0.58) than their long-term average of 0.27, meaning their price movements have been converging.
Fundamentals
POWL:
$10.93B
STRL:
$27.17B
POWL:
$5.12
STRL:
$11.19
POWL:
58.43
STRL:
78.25
POWL:
0.09
STRL:
1.67
POWL:
9.65
STRL:
9.40
POWL:
15.41
STRL:
22.84
POWL:
$1.13B
STRL:
$2.88B
POWL:
$340.78M
STRL:
$664.66M
POWL:
$236.11M
STRL:
$429.99M
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Return for Risk
POWL vs. STRL — Risk / Return Rank
POWL
STRL
POWL vs. STRL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL) and Sterling Construction Company, Inc. (STRL). 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.
| POWL | STRL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 7.27 | 4.55 | +2.72 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 5.38 | 4.49 | +0.89 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.67 | 1.60 | +0.07 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 13.94 | 11.79 | +2.15 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 45.01 | 33.09 | +11.92 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| POWL | STRL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 7.27 | 4.55 | +2.72 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 1.50 | 1.86 | -0.36 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.76 | 1.26 | -0.50 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.29 | 0.27 | +0.02 |
Drawdowns
POWL vs. STRL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum POWL drawdown since its inception was -73.10%, smaller than the maximum STRL drawdown of -92.51%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for POWL and STRL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| POWL | STRL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -73.10% | -92.51% | +19.41% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -30.88% | -31.02% | +0.14% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -55.76% | -47.67% | -8.09% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -55.76% | -47.67% | -8.09% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -68.85% | -59.60% | -9.25% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -7.10% | -1.52% | -5.58% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -36.12% | -46.33% | +10.21% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 9.56% | 11.05% | -1.49% |
Volatility
POWL vs. STRL - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL) is 19.76%, while Sterling Construction Company, Inc. (STRL) has a volatility of 47.44%. This indicates that POWL experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than STRL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| POWL | STRL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 19.76% | 47.44% | -27.68% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 42.59% | 62.52% | -19.93% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 58.37% | 80.09% | -21.72% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 64.06% | 56.62% | +7.44% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 54.67% | 53.23% | +1.44% |
Dividends
POWL vs. STRL - Dividend Comparison
POWL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.12%, while STRL has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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% |
STRL Sterling Construction Company, Inc. | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Financials
POWL vs. STRL - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Powell Industries, Inc. and Sterling Construction Company, Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
POWL vs. STRL - Profitability Comparison
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%.
STRL - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Sterling Construction Company, Inc. reported a gross profit of 194.30M and revenue of 825.68M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 23.5%.
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%.
STRL - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Sterling Construction Company, Inc. reported an operating income of 2.36M and revenue of 825.68M, resulting in an operating margin of 0.3%.
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%.
STRL - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Sterling Construction Company, Inc. reported a net income of 95.97M and revenue of 825.68M, resulting in a net margin of 11.6%.
Frequently Asked Questions
POWL and STRL have a correlation of 0.58, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
STRL has higher volatility (47.44%) compared to POWL (19.76%). In terms of maximum drawdown, POWL dropped -73.10% vs STRL's -92.51%.
POWL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (7.27 vs 4.55), 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.
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