Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL) vs United States Steel Corporation (X)
POWL leads on 10 of 14 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Powell Industries, Inc. and United States Steel Corporation 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
X
United States Steel Corporation
$54.84Basic Materials
Total return — POWL vs X
growth of $100 · last 29yPOWL +1361.8%X +81.3%POWL compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
POWL X
POWL vs X: by the numbers
- •X is the larger company ($12.42B vs $10.74B market cap).
- •POWL trades at the lower earnings multiple (57.61 vs 189.10 P/E).
- •POWL converts more revenue to profit (16.51% vs 0.64% net margin).
- •POWL grew revenue faster over the past five years (19.84% vs 4.51% CAGR).
- •X pays the higher dividend yield (0.36% vs 0.12%).
Which is better, POWL or X?
Metric tally: POWL 10 · X 4It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValuePOWL(lower P/E)
GrowthPOWL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
QualityPOWL(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | POWL | X |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 57.61● | 189.10 |
| Forward P/E | 44.88 | — |
| P/S ratio | 9.51 | 0.81● |
| P/B ratio | 15.19 | 0.77● |
| PEG ratio | 1.03 | — |
| EV / EBITDA | 41.17 | 10.84● |
| FCF yield | 1.79% | — |
Profitability
| Metric | POWL | X |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 30.10%● | 7.57% |
| Operating margin | 19.76%● | -2.36% |
| Net margin | 16.51%● | 0.64% |
| ROE | 26.36%● | 0.61% |
| ROIC | 25.41%● | 1.24% |
Dividends
| Metric | POWL | X |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.12% | 0.36%● |
| Payout ratio | 7.18% | 11.70% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | POWL | X |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 19.84%● | 4.51% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 59.98%● | -19.55% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 34.56%● | 24.58% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 99.30%● | 47.40% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, POWL or X?
- 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 10 to 4.
- Is POWL or X cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, POWL is cheaper: POWL trades at a 57.61 P/E and X at 189.10.
- Which has grown faster, POWL or X?
- Over the past five years, POWL grew revenue faster — POWL at a 19.84% CAGR versus X at 4.51%.
- Does POWL or X pay a bigger dividend?
- POWL yields 0.12% and X yields 0.36% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is POWL or X more profitable?
- POWL runs the higher net margin — POWL at 16.51% versus X at 0.64%.
- Which has been the better investment, POWL or X?
- Over the past 10-year, POWL delivered the higher annualized total return — POWL at 47.08% versus X at 9.88%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Powell Industries P/E ratioUnited States Steel P/E ratioPowell Industries dividend yieldUnited States Steel dividend yieldPowell Industries ROEUnited States Steel ROEPowell Industries operating marginUnited States Steel operating marginPowell Industries revenue growthUnited States Steel revenue growthPowell Industries free cash flowUnited States Steel free cash flow
Powell Industries & United States Steel 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.