Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS) vs Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL)

POWL leads on 12 of 14 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. and Powell Industries, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 25, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Compare
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. logo
KTOS
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.
$8.73B
$47.95Industrials
Powell Industries, Inc. logo
POWL
Powell Industries, Inc.
$11.39B
$294.49Industrials

Total return — KTOS vs POWL

growth of $100 · last 27y
KTOS -92.5%POWL +12204.9%POWL compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
01101001k10k100kStart $10020042009201420192024$8$12,305
KTOS POWL

KTOS vs POWL: by the numbers

  • •POWL is the larger company ($11.39B vs $8.73B market cap).
  • •POWL trades at the lower earnings multiple (57.56 vs 281.40 P/E).
  • •POWL converts more revenue to profit (16.51% vs 2.08% net margin).
  • •POWL grew revenue faster over the past five years (19.84% vs 12.85% CAGR).
  • •POWL pays a dividend (0.12% yield) while KTOS does not currently pay one.

Which is better, KTOS or POWL?

Metric tally: KTOS 2 · POWL 12

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValuePOWL(lower P/E)
GrowthPOWL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
QualityPOWL(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

MetricKTOSPOWL
P/E ratio281.4057.56●
Forward P/E—44.84
P/S ratio6.08●9.51
P/B ratio2.52●15.18
PEG ratio32.781.03●
EV / EBITDA67.1941.14●
FCF yield—1.79%

Profitability

MetricKTOSPOWL
Gross margin21.80%30.10%●
Operating margin2.04%19.76%●
Net margin2.08%16.51%●
ROE0.86%26.36%●
ROIC0.83%25.41%●

Dividends

MetricKTOSPOWL
Dividend yield—0.12%
Payout ratio—7.18%

Growth (annualized)

MetricKTOSPOWL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)12.85%19.84%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)1.34%59.98%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)-4.96%34.56%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)11.07%105.64%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, KTOS or POWL?
It depends on your goal. value: POWL (lower P/E); growth: POWL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: POWL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, POWL leads 12 to 2.
Is KTOS or POWL cheaper?
On trailing earnings, POWL is cheaper: KTOS trades at a 281.40 P/E and POWL at 57.56.
Which has grown faster, KTOS or POWL?
Over the past five years, POWL grew revenue faster — KTOS at a 12.85% CAGR versus POWL at 19.84%.
Does KTOS or POWL pay a bigger dividend?
POWL pays a dividend (0.12% yield) while KTOS does not currently pay one.
Is KTOS or POWL more profitable?
POWL runs the higher net margin — KTOS at 2.08% versus POWL at 16.51%.
Which has been the better investment, KTOS or POWL?
Over the past 10-year, POWL delivered the higher annualized total return — KTOS at 27.91% versus POWL at 48.22%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full KTOS analysisFull POWL analysisInteractive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions P/E ratioPowell Industries P/E ratioKratos Defense & Security Solutions dividend yieldPowell Industries dividend yieldKratos Defense & Security Solutions ROEPowell Industries ROEKratos Defense & Security Solutions operating marginPowell Industries operating marginKratos Defense & Security Solutions revenue growthPowell Industries revenue growthKratos Defense & Security Solutions free cash flowPowell Industries free cash flow

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions & Powell Industries appear in these rankings

Fastest Revenue Growth StocksHighest ROE StocksHighest ROIC StocksBest 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 25, 2026.