Which has grown faster, AI or POWL?

Over the past five years, POWL grew revenue faster — AI at a 6.44% CAGR versus POWL at 19.84%.

Does AI or POWL pay a bigger dividend?

POWL pays a dividend (0.12% yield) while AI does not currently pay one.

Is AI or POWL more profitable?

POWL runs the higher net margin — AI at -187.95% versus POWL at 16.51%.

Which has been the better investment, AI or POWL?

Over the past 5-year, POWL delivered the higher annualized total return — AI at -29.02% versus POWL at 47.08%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

C3.ai, Inc. (AI) vs Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL)

POWL leads on 6 of 9 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of C3.ai, Inc. and Powell Industries, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Powell Industries, Inc.

$10.74B

$294.75Industrials

Total return — AI vs POWL

growth of $100 · last 6y

AI -91.6%POWL +2960.7%POWL compounded faster

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

AI POWL

AI vs POWL: by the numbers

•POWL is the larger company ($10.74B vs $1.55B market cap).
•POWL is profitable (16.51% net margin) while AI runs a net loss (-187.95%).
•POWL grew revenue faster over the past five years (19.84% vs 6.44% CAGR).
•POWL pays a dividend (0.12% yield) while AI does not currently pay one.

Which is better, AI or POWL?

Metric tally: AI 3 · POWL 6

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

GrowthPOWL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

QualityPOWL(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	AI	POWL
P/E ratio	—	57.61
Forward P/E	—	44.88
P/S ratio	6.37●	9.51
P/B ratio	2.44●	15.19
PEG ratio	—	1.03
EV / EBITDA	—	41.17
FCF yield	—	1.79%

Profitability

Metric	AI	POWL
Gross margin	30.92%●	30.10%
Operating margin	-194.86%	19.76%●
Net margin	-187.95%	16.51%●
ROE	-71.95%	26.36%●
ROIC	-68.71%	25.41%●

Dividends

Metric	AI	POWL
Dividend yield	—	0.12%
Payout ratio	—	7.18%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AI	POWL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.44%	19.84%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	—	59.98%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	—	34.56%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-29.02%	99.30%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, AI or POWL?: It depends on your goal. growth: POWL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: POWL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, POWL leads 6 to 3.
Which has grown faster, AI or POWL?: Over the past five years, POWL grew revenue faster — AI at a 6.44% CAGR versus POWL at 19.84%.
Does AI or POWL pay a bigger dividend?: POWL pays a dividend (0.12% yield) while AI does not currently pay one.
Is AI or POWL more profitable?: POWL runs the higher net margin — AI at -187.95% versus POWL at 16.51%.
Which has been the better investment, AI or POWL?: Over the past 5-year, POWL delivered the higher annualized total return — AI at -29.02% versus POWL at 47.08%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AI analysis Full POWL analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

C3.ai P/E ratio Powell Industries P/E ratio C3.ai dividend yield Powell Industries dividend yield C3.ai ROE Powell Industries ROE C3.ai operating margin Powell Industries operating margin C3.ai revenue growth Powell Industries revenue growth C3.ai free cash flow Powell Industries free cash flow

C3.ai & Powell Industries appear in these rankings

Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks Best 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 13, 2026.