Discover Financial Services (DFS) vs Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL)
DFS leads on 12 of 17 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Discover Financial Services 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).
DFS
Discover Financial Services
$200.05Financial Services
POWL
Powell Industries, Inc.
$294.75Industrials
Total return — DFS vs POWL
growth of $100 · last 18yDFS +595.8%POWL +530.8%DFS compounded faster
DFS POWL
DFS vs POWL: by the numbers
- •DFS is the larger company ($50.34B vs $10.74B market cap).
- •DFS trades at the lower earnings multiple (10.67 vs 57.61 P/E).
- •DFS converts more revenue to profit (21.65% vs 16.51% net margin).
- •POWL grew revenue faster over the past five years (19.84% vs 13.84% CAGR).
- •DFS pays the higher dividend yield (1.40% vs 0.12%).
Which is better, DFS or POWL?
Metric tally: DFS 12 · POWL 5It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueDFS(lower P/E)
GrowthPOWL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeDFS(higher dividend yield)
QualityDFS(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | DFS | POWL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 10.67● | 57.61 |
| Forward P/E | 12.59● | 44.88 |
| P/S ratio | 2.28● | 9.51 |
| P/B ratio | 2.66● | 15.19 |
| PEG ratio | 0.15● | 1.03 |
| EV / EBITDA | 6.75● | 41.17 |
| FCF yield | 16.78%● | 1.79% |
Profitability
| Metric | DFS | POWL |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 65.86%● | 30.10% |
| Operating margin | 34.55%● | 19.76% |
| Net margin | 21.65%● | 16.51% |
| ROE | 25.29% | 26.36%● |
| ROIC | 32.48%● | 25.41% |
Dividends
| Metric | DFS | POWL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 1.40%● | 0.12% |
| Payout ratio | 15.81% | 7.18% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | DFS | POWL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 13.84% | 19.84%● |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 14.26% | 59.98%● |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 9.87% | 34.56%● |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 42.63% | 99.30%● |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, DFS or POWL?
- It depends on your goal. value: DFS (lower P/E); growth: POWL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: DFS (higher dividend yield); quality: DFS (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, DFS leads 12 to 5.
- Is DFS or POWL cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, DFS is cheaper: DFS trades at a 10.67 P/E and POWL at 57.61.
- Which has grown faster, DFS or POWL?
- Over the past five years, POWL grew revenue faster — DFS at a 13.84% CAGR versus POWL at 19.84%.
- Does DFS or POWL pay a bigger dividend?
- DFS yields 1.40% and POWL yields 0.12% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is DFS or POWL more profitable?
- DFS runs the higher net margin — DFS at 21.65% versus POWL at 16.51%.
- Which has been the better investment, DFS or POWL?
- Over the past 10-year, POWL delivered the higher annualized total return — DFS at 15.34% versus POWL at 47.08%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Discover Financial Services P/E ratioPowell Industries P/E ratioDiscover Financial Services dividend yieldPowell Industries dividend yieldDiscover Financial Services ROEPowell Industries ROEDiscover Financial Services operating marginPowell Industries operating marginDiscover Financial Services revenue growthPowell Industries revenue growthDiscover Financial Services free cash flowPowell Industries free cash flow
Discover Financial Services & Powell Industries appear in these rankings
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.