Acuity Brands [AYI] vs Powell Industries [POWL] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 21 vital metrics comparison: Acuity Brands Inc. wins in 12 metrics, Powell Industries Inc. wins in 9 metrics, with 0 ties. Acuity Brands Inc. appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

Metric Acuity Brands Inc. Powell Industries Inc. Better
P/E Ratio (TTM) 21.74 49.27 Acuity Brands Inc.
Price-to-Book Ratio 3.16 13.76 Acuity Brands Inc.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio 28.45 0.22 Powell Industries Inc.
PEG Ratio 0.82 -0.81 Acuity Brands Inc.
EV/EBITDA 12.33 37.42 Acuity Brands Inc.
Profit Margin (TTM) 9.37% 16.82% Powell Industries Inc.
Operating Margin (TTM) 13.06% 17.03% Powell Industries Inc.
EBITDA Margin (TTM) 13.06% 17.03% Powell Industries Inc.
Return on Equity 16.03% 32.16% Powell Industries Inc.
Return on Assets (TTM) 8.33% 14.02% Powell Industries Inc.
Free Cash Flow (TTM) $533.00M $154.79M Acuity Brands Inc.
Dividend Yield 0.23% 0.26% Powell Industries Inc.
1-Year Return 11.92% 370.70% Powell Industries Inc.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) 1.98 8.26 Acuity Brands Inc.
Enterprise Value $9.46B $8.71B Acuity Brands Inc.
EV/Revenue Ratio 2.06 7.82 Acuity Brands Inc.
Gross Profit Margin (TTM) 49.29% 28.43% Acuity Brands Inc.
Revenue per Share (TTM) $149 $31 Acuity Brands Inc.
Earnings per Share (Diluted) $13.63 $5.13 Acuity Brands Inc.
Beta (Stock Volatility) 1.43 0.82 Powell Industries Inc.
Short % of Float 2.98% 13.37% Acuity Brands Inc.

Acuity Brands Inc. vs Powell Industries Inc. Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Acuity Brands Inc.1.78%2.13%7.42%14.37%-16.21%-18.96%
Powell Industries Inc.2.98%3.38%3.72%77.91%177.68%158.30%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Acuity Brands Inc.11.92%78.65%66.50%21.53%428.71%706.40%
Powell Industries Inc.370.70%1,459.52%2,611.59%2,254.23%2,536.40%3,840.51%

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Acuity Brands Inc. vs Powell Industries Inc.

MetricAYIPOWL
Market Information
Market Cap i$8.87B$9.21B
Market Cap CategoryMid capMid cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i469,034536,190
90 Day Avg. Volume i489,655629,567
Last Close$302.53$303.53
52 Week Range$257.04 - $380.17$56.70 - $328.00
% from 52W High-20.42%-7.46%
All-Time High$380.17 (Jan 05, 2026)$612.50 (Feb 12, 2026)
% from All-Time High-20.42%-50.44%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.05%0.04%
Quarterly Earnings Growth0.25%0.19%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.09%0.17%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.13%0.17%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.16%0.32%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i28.450.22
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$93.76$18.37
Cash per Share (MRQ)$9.05$13.75
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$639.70M$174.50M
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$430.21M$114.11M
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i0.23%0.26%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$0.71$1.35

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Acuity Brands Inc. vs Powell Industries Inc.

MetricAYI (Apr 24, 2026)POWL (Apr 26, 2026)
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i21.7449.27
Forward P/E i13.9340.54
PEG Ratio i0.82-0.81
Price to Sales (TTM) i1.988.26
Price to Book (MRQ) i3.1613.76
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$8.87B$9.21B
Enterprise Value i$9.46B$8.71B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i2.067.82
Enterprise to EBITDA i12.3337.42
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i1.430.82
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$93.76$18.37

Financial Statements Comparison: Acuity Brands Inc. vs Powell Industries Inc.

Financial Metrics

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Revenue

Operating Margin

Profit Margin

Long Term Debt

Income Flow Analysis

Financial Statements Comparison

Income Statement

MetricAYI (2025)POWL (2025)
Revenue/Sales i4.35B1.10B
Cost of Goods Sold i2.27B779.94M
COGS % of Revenue i52.2%70.6%
Gross Profit i2.08B324.38M
Gross Margin i47.8%29.4%
Research & Development i140.20M11.01M
Operating Income (EBIT) i593.60M217.86M
Operating Margin i13.7%19.7%
EBITDA i706.60M225.13M
EBITDA Margin i16.3%20.4%
Pre-Tax Income i500.20M233.55M
Pre-Tax Income % of Revenue i11.5%21.1%
Income Tax i103.60M52.80M
Income Tax % of Revenue i2.4%4.8%
Net Income (Profit) i396.60M180.75M
Profit Margin i9.1%16.4%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics

MetricAYI (2025)POWL (2025)
Cash & Equivalents i422.50M450.74M
Total Current Assets i1.65B931.72M
Total Current Assets % of Revenue i38.0%84.4%
Total Current Liabilities i845.80M446.39M
Total Current Liabilities % of Revenue i19.5%40.4%
Long-Term Debt i981.10M782,000
Long-Term Debt % of Revenue i22.6%0.1%
Total Shareholders Equity i2.72B640.77M
Retained Earnings i4.29B629.85M
Retained Earnings % of Revenue i98.6%57.0%
Property, Plant & Equipment i97.40M1.66M

Cash Flow Statement Comparison

MetricAYI (2025)POWL (2025)
Operating Cash Flow i568.10M160.12M
Operating Cash Flow % of Revenue i13.1%14.5%
Capital Expenditures i-68.40M-13.13M
Free Cash Flow i533.00M154.79M
FCF Margin i12.3%14.0%
Debt Repayment i-200.00MN/A
Common Stock Repurchase i-118.50M-12.25M

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricAYIPOWL
Shares Short i780,3293.29M
Short Ratio i1.544.98
Short % of Float i2.98%13.37%
Shares Outstanding i30.46M36.42M
Float Shares i29.92M29.05M
% Held by Insiders i0.43%20.89%
% Held by Institutions i99.32%96.63%
% Held by Public i0.25%-17.52%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Acuity Brands Inc. vs Powell Industries Inc.

MetricAYIPOWL
Last 12-Month Dividend i$0.71$1.35
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i0.23%0.26%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$0.62$1.16
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.06%0.22%
3-Year Total Dividends i$1.87$3.47
Ex-Dividend DateFeb 02, 2026Feb 18, 2026