Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL) vs QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM)
QCOM leads on 11 of 17 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Powell Industries, Inc. and QUALCOMM Incorporated 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).
POWL
Powell Industries, Inc.
$294.75Industrials
QCOM
QUALCOMM Incorporated
$211.72Technology
Not enough overlapping price history to compare POWL and QCOM.
POWL vs QCOM: by the numbers
- •QCOM is the larger company ($223.15B vs $10.74B market cap).
- •QCOM trades at the lower earnings multiple (22.72 vs 57.61 P/E).
- •QCOM converts more revenue to profit (22.31% vs 16.51% net margin).
- •POWL grew revenue faster over the past five years (19.84% vs 8.63% CAGR).
- •QCOM pays the higher dividend yield (1.70% vs 0.12%).
Which is better, POWL or QCOM?
Metric tally: POWL 6 · QCOM 11It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueQCOM(lower P/E)
GrowthPOWL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeQCOM(higher dividend yield)
QualityPOWL(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | POWL | QCOM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 57.61 | 22.72● |
| Forward P/E | 44.88 | 19.72● |
| P/S ratio | 9.51 | 5.10● |
| P/B ratio | 15.19 | 8.32● |
| PEG ratio | 1.03● | 3.96 |
| EV / EBITDA | 41.17 | 16.71● |
| FCF yield | 1.79% | 5.51%● |
Profitability
| Metric | POWL | QCOM |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 30.10% | 54.80%● |
| Operating margin | 19.76% | 25.52%● |
| Net margin | 16.51% | 22.31%● |
| ROE | 26.36% | 36.38%● |
| ROIC | 25.41%● | 13.15% |
Dividends
| Metric | POWL | QCOM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.12% | 1.70%● |
| Payout ratio | 7.18% | 70.95% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | POWL | QCOM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 19.84%● | 8.63% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 59.98%● | 5.74% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 34.56%● | 9.39% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 99.30%● | 11.87% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, POWL or QCOM?
- It depends on your goal. value: QCOM (lower P/E); growth: POWL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: QCOM (higher dividend yield); quality: POWL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, QCOM leads 11 to 6.
- Is POWL or QCOM cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, QCOM is cheaper: POWL trades at a 57.61 P/E and QCOM at 22.72.
- Which has grown faster, POWL or QCOM?
- Over the past five years, POWL grew revenue faster — POWL at a 19.84% CAGR versus QCOM at 8.63%.
- Does POWL or QCOM pay a bigger dividend?
- POWL yields 0.12% and QCOM yields 1.70% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is POWL or QCOM more profitable?
- QCOM runs the higher net margin — POWL at 16.51% versus QCOM at 22.31%.
- Which has been the better investment, POWL or QCOM?
- Over the past 10-year, POWL delivered the higher annualized total return — POWL at 47.08% versus QCOM at 17.83%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Powell Industries P/E ratioQUALCOMM P/E ratioPowell Industries dividend yieldQUALCOMM dividend yieldPowell Industries ROEQUALCOMM ROEPowell Industries operating marginQUALCOMM operating marginPowell Industries revenue growthQUALCOMM revenue growthPowell Industries free cash flowQUALCOMM free cash flow
Powell Industries & QUALCOMM 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.