STRL vs. POWL
STRL (Sterling Construction Company, Inc.) and POWL (Powell Industries, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Industrials sector — STRL in Engineering & Construction, POWL in Electrical Equipment & Parts. Over the past 10 years, STRL returned 66.97%/yr vs 41.44%/yr for POWL. At a 0.27 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
STRL vs. POWL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with STRL having a 185.90% return and POWL slightly lower at 181.68%. Over the past 10 years, STRL has outperformed POWL with an annualized return of 66.97%, while POWL has yielded a comparatively lower 41.44% annualized return.
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
- 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 vs. POWL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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% |
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 STRL and POWL 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, STRL and POWL have become more correlated (0.58) than their long-term average of 0.27, meaning their price movements have been converging.
Fundamentals
STRL:
$27.17B
POWL:
$10.93B
STRL:
$11.19
POWL:
$5.12
STRL:
78.25
POWL:
58.43
STRL:
1.67
POWL:
0.09
STRL:
9.40
POWL:
9.65
STRL:
22.84
POWL:
15.41
STRL:
$2.88B
POWL:
$1.13B
STRL:
$664.66M
POWL:
$340.78M
STRL:
$429.99M
POWL:
$236.11M
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Return for Risk
STRL vs. POWL — Risk / Return Rank
STRL
POWL
STRL vs. POWL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Sterling Construction Company, Inc. (STRL) 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.
| STRL | POWL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 4.55 | 7.27 | -2.72 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 4.49 | 5.38 | -0.89 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.60 | 1.67 | -0.07 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 11.79 | 13.94 | -2.15 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 33.09 | 45.01 | -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
| STRL | POWL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.55 | 7.27 | -2.72 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 1.86 | 1.50 | +0.36 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 1.26 | 0.76 | +0.50 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.27 | 0.29 | -0.02 |
Drawdowns
STRL vs. POWL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum STRL drawdown since its inception was -92.51%, which is greater than POWL's maximum drawdown of -73.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for STRL and POWL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| STRL | POWL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -92.51% | -73.10% | -19.41% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -31.02% | -30.88% | -0.14% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -47.67% | -55.76% | +8.09% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -47.67% | -55.76% | +8.09% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -59.60% | -68.85% | +9.25% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.52% | -7.10% | +5.58% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -46.33% | -36.12% | -10.21% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 11.05% | 9.56% | +1.49% |
Volatility
STRL vs. POWL - Volatility Comparison
Sterling Construction Company, Inc. (STRL) has a higher volatility of 47.44% compared to Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL) at 19.76%. This indicates that STRL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than POWL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| STRL | POWL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 47.44% | 19.76% | +27.68% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 62.52% | 42.59% | +19.93% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 80.09% | 58.37% | +21.72% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 56.62% | 64.06% | -7.44% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 53.23% | 54.67% | -1.44% |
Dividends
STRL vs. POWL - Dividend Comparison
STRL has not paid dividends to shareholders, while POWL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.12%.
| 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
STRL vs. POWL - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Sterling Construction Company, Inc. and Powell Industries, 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
STRL vs. POWL - Profitability Comparison
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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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%.
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
STRL and POWL 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, STRL dropped -92.51% vs POWL's -73.10%.
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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