POWL vs WAB vs VICR Stock Comparison

Powell Industries, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies and Vicor Prices as of Oct 28, 2026 Peers: Industry group
POWL Powell Industries Inc
$168.01 -10.3% 1M +31.2% 1Y
Market cap
$6.12B
P/E
32.1x
Revenue (TTM)
$1.16B
Div. yield
0.18%
Electrical Equipment Industrials
3 wins
VICR Vicor Corp
$216.65 -24.0% 1M +141.7% 1Y
Market cap
$9.99B
P/E
55.4x
Revenue (TTM)
$560.70M
Div. yield
–
Electrical Equipment Industrials
3 wins

Head to Head

10 decided of 12

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies leads on 4 of the 12 questions below (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies 4, Powell Industries 3, Vicor 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionPOWLWABVICRLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $6.12B $47.73B $9.99B WAB
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 32.1x 34.9x 55.4x POWL
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 32.5x 24.3x 56.6x WAB
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +7.0% +13.2% +27.0% VICR
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 16.5% — 32.2% VICR
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — — — –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — — — –
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.18% 0.42% 0.00% WAB
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +31.2% +42.6% +141.7% VICR
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +81.2%/yr +25.5%/yr +7.4%/yr POWL
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 64.3% 26.2% 95.2% WAB
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 70/100 46/100 61/100 POWL

Percentile Scorecard

POWLWABVICR

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisPOWLWABVICR
Valuation 41 #120 of 203 35 #132 of 203 9 #184 of 203
Growth 91 #18 of 188 89 #22 of 188 91 #17 of 188
Profitability 98 #5 of 184 55 #84 of 184 90 #20 of 184
Financial Health 76 #54 of 217 28 #156 of 217 100 #1 of 217
Shareholder Returns 45 #85 of 153 21 #121 of 153 15 #131 of 153
Overall 70 46 61
  • POWL ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • WAB ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • VICR ranked among 222 companies in Machinery

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodPOWLWABVICRSPY
1 month -10.3%-3.5%-24.0% +0.9%
3 months -9.9%-3.2%+18.5% +5.9%
6 months -33.7%+8.0%-15.6% +8.5%
Year to date +58.1%+32.2%+97.7% +13.3%
1 year +31.2%+42.6%+141.7% +12.4%
3 years +580.0%+171.4%+433.9% +88.1%
3 years, per year +89.5%+39.5%+74.8% +23.5%
5 years +1,849.1%+211.1%+42.9% +68.2%
5 years, per year +81.2%+25.5%+7.4% +11.0%
10 years +1,330.2%+267.4%+1,566.5% +263.4%
10 years, per year +30.5%+13.9%+32.5% +13.8%

Risk

MeasurePOWLWABVICRSPY
Volatility, 1Y 64.3%26.2%95.2% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 67.8%24.2%101.5% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 2.510.993.76 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.481.631.49 0.98
Max drawdown, 5Y -55.9%-23.7%-80.5% -25.4%
From 52-week high -47.8%-7.7%-43.0% -0.9%
52-week high $322.05$305.87$379.78 $779.14
52-week low $94.02$196.14$83.28 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultiplePOWLWABVICR
P/E now vs peer median 32.1xmedian 25.4x 34.9xmedian 25.4x 55.4xmedian 25.4x
P/S now vs peer median 5.3xmedian 1.9x 3.9xmedian 1.9x 17.8xmedian 1.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 23.2xmedian 14.3x —median 14.3x 58.9xmedian 14.3x
P/FCF now vs peer median 25.1xmedian 21.8x 28.7xmedian 21.8x 196.6xmedian 21.8x
P/B now vs peer median 8.1xmedian 2.2x 4.2xmedian 2.2x 11.0xmedian 2.2x
PEG now vs peer median 0.44median 1.41 1.45median 1.41 1.16median 1.41

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsPOWLWABVICR
Revenue $1.16B $12.21B $560.70M
Gross profit $348.18M $4.35B $339.59M
Operating income $227.67M $2.10B $139.60M
Net income $190.86M – $180.33M
Free cash flow $243.96M – $50.83M
R&D $14.98M $261.00M $87.44M
EPS (diluted) $5.21 $8.07 $3.79
Cash & equivalents $633.56M $489.00M $513.14M
Shares (diluted) 36.60M 169.60M 47.61M
Enterprise value $3.97B $47.76B $8.22B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricPOWLWABVICR
P/E 32.1x 34.9x 55.4x
P/FCF 25.1x 28.7x 196.6x
P/Operating cash flow 23.9x 22.9x 104.0x
P/S 5.3x 3.9x 17.8x
P/B 8.1x 4.2x 11.0x
P/Tangible book 8.2x 6.5x 11.0x
EV/EBITDA 23.2x – 58.9x
EV/EBIT 24.1x – 67.9x
EV/Revenue 4.7x 3.9x 16.9x
EV/FCF 22.5x – 186.5x
EV/Operating cash flow 21.4x 22.9x 98.7x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.44 1.45 1.16

Growth

14 metrics
MetricPOWLWABVICR
Revenue growth (1Y) 7.0% 13.2% 27.0%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 21.0% 8.9% 10.3%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 11.9% 19.7% 35.6%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 39.2% 15.4% 18.0%
Operating income growth (1Y) 8.0% 18.5% 85.3%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 74.2% 20.3% 38.9%
Net income growth (1Y) 8.8% – 119.1%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 73.1% – 50.4%
EPS growth (1Y) 8.6% 17.0% 106.8%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 72.8% 24.0% 47.8%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 153.9% 40.1% -28.3%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 25.5% 31.2% 21.2%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 201.1% – -56.7%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 25.0% – 50.4%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricPOWLWABVICR
Gross margin 30.1% – 60.6%
EBITDA margin 20.4% – 28.7%
Operating margin 19.7% – 24.9%
Pretax margin 21.2% – 28.1%
Net margin 16.5% – 32.2%
FCF margin 21.1% – 9.1%
Operating cash flow margin 22.1% 17.1% 17.1%
Return on equity 26.1% 12.2% 20.7%
Return on assets 14.8% 5.9% 19.2%
Return on invested capital – – –
Return on capital employed 34.0% – 16.0%
Asset turnover 0.9x 0.5x 0.6x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.3x – 0.5x
Stock comp / revenue 0.5% – 3.2%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricPOWLWABVICR
Debt / assets – – –
Debt / equity – – –
Net debt / EBITDA – – –
Debt / FCF – – –
Liabilities / assets 46.2% 50.9% 7.6%
Equity / assets 53.8% 49.1% 92.4%
Interest coverage – – –
Current ratio 2.0x 1.1x 11.4x
Quick ratio 1.8x – 9.6x
Cash ratio 1.0x – 7.7x
Altman Z-score 8.28 – 82.58

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricPOWLWABVICR
Dividend yield 0.2% 0.4% –
Net buyback yield – – -0.8%
Shareholder yield 0.2% 0.4% -0.8%
Payout ratio (earnings) 6.8% – –
Payout ratio (FCF) 5.3% – –
Dividend growth (1Y) 1.6% – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 1.8% – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusPOWLWABVICR
Forward P/E 32.5xFY2026 24.3xFY2026 56.6xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $5.17FY2026 $11.63FY2026 $3.83FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +4.4%FY2026 +29.7%FY2026 +46.7%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +26.9% +5.7% +72.6%
Revenue, next fiscal year $1.24BFY2026 $12.82BFY2026 $609.82MFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +12.4%FY2026 +14.8%FY2026 +34.7%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +26.2% -2.8% +63.0%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersPOWLWABVICR
Held by institutions 75.0% 92.6% 47.7%
Institutions holding 581 1,195 510
Change in shares held, QoQ -4.3% +0.2% +3.9%
Institutions buying 318 553 348
Institutions selling 215 409 130
Buyers to sellers 1.48 1.35 2.68

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

POWLWABVICR
POWL 1.00 0.50 0.56
WAB 0.50 1.00 0.40
VICR 0.56 0.40 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, POWL, WAB and VICR?

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) is the largest by market capitalisation: Powell Industries (POWL) $6.12B, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) $47.73B, Vicor (VICR) $9.99B.

Which stock is cheaper, POWL, WAB and VICR?

Powell Industries (POWL) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Powell Industries (POWL) 32.1x, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) 34.9x, Vicor (VICR) 55.4x). On next year's consensus earnings, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) is cheapest (Powell Industries (POWL) 32.5x, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) 24.3x, Vicor (VICR) 56.6x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Vicor (VICR) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Powell Industries (POWL) +7.0%, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) +13.2%, Vicor (VICR) +27.0%.

Which company is more profitable?

Vicor (VICR) has the highest net margin (Powell Industries (POWL) 16.5%, Vicor (VICR) 32.2%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Vicor (VICR) returned the most: Powell Industries (POWL) +31.2%, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) +42.6%, Vicor (VICR) +141.7%. Over five years, Powell Industries (POWL) compounded fastest (Powell Industries (POWL) +81.2%/yr, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) +25.5%/yr, Vicor (VICR) +7.4%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) has the highest dividend yield: Powell Industries (POWL) 0.18%, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) 0.42%, Vicor (VICR) 0.00%. Vicor (VICR) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) has been the steadiest (Powell Industries (POWL) 64.3%, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) 26.2%, Vicor (VICR) 95.2%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, POWL, WAB and VICR?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) leads on 4. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.