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Powell Gains From Strength in Electric Utility Market: Will the Momentum Last?
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Key Takeaways
Powell posted 14% utility revenue growth and 35% commercial & industrial growth in fiscal Q2 2026.
POWL's backlog reached $1.8 billion, up 33% year over year and 12% sequentially.
Strong bookings, liquidity and balance sheet support Powell's revenue and earnings outlook for fiscal 2026.
Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL - Free Report) is benefiting from its strong foothold and healthy project activities across the electric utility and commercial & other industrial markets. In the second quarter of fiscal 2026 (ended March 2026), revenues from the electric utility sector increased 14% year over year, while those from the commercial & other industrial sector surged 35%.
Powell is strengthening its participation across the electrical power value chain and benefiting from momentum in the data center and utility markets. Notably, it witnessed strong bookings in these markets in the first six months of fiscal 2026. Also, significant project awards supported by high investments in LNG, related gas processing and petrochemical processes have set Powell apart as a leading supplier of critical electrical infrastructure.
This has led to a strong backlog level, which was $1.8 billion (up 33% year over year and 12% sequentially) while exiting second-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended March 2026). Exiting the quarter, Powell’s new orders totaled $490 million, much higher than $439 million at the end of the previous quarter.
Given the company’s robust backlog, solid liquidity and a strong balance sheet, it looks forward to witnessing solid revenues and earnings in fiscal 2026 (ending September 2026).
Segment Snapshot of POWL’s Peers
Franklin Electric Co. (FELE - Free Report) is witnessing solid momentum in the Energy Systems segment. In first-quarter 2026, net sales from Franklin Electric’s Energy Systems segment increased 7% year over year to $71.8 million. The segmental results were driven by an increase in volumes and price realization.
EnerSys (ENS - Free Report) is benefiting from the expansion of U.S. communications networks, fueled by AI-driven data demand. Increased demand for products from industrial customers is driving the Energy Systems segment’s results. Revenues from EnerSys’ Energy Systems segment increased 7% to $425.7 million in fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended March 31, 2026).
POWL’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Shares of Powell have surged 45% in the past three months compared with the industry’s growth of 15.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, POWL is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 40.73X, above the industry’s average of 24.99X. Powell carries a Value Score of F.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for POWL’s fiscal 2026 (ending September 2026) earnings has decreased 1.8% over the past 60 days. However, the consensus estimates for fiscal 2027 (ending September 2027) have increased 9.8%.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
Image: Bigstock
Powell Gains From Strength in Electric Utility Market: Will the Momentum Last?
Key Takeaways
Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL - Free Report) is benefiting from its strong foothold and healthy project activities across the electric utility and commercial & other industrial markets. In the second quarter of fiscal 2026 (ended March 2026), revenues from the electric utility sector increased 14% year over year, while those from the commercial & other industrial sector surged 35%.
Powell is strengthening its participation across the electrical power value chain and benefiting from momentum in the data center and utility markets. Notably, it witnessed strong bookings in these markets in the first six months of fiscal 2026. Also, significant project awards supported by high investments in LNG, related gas processing and petrochemical processes have set Powell apart as a leading supplier of critical electrical infrastructure.
This has led to a strong backlog level, which was $1.8 billion (up 33% year over year and 12% sequentially) while exiting second-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended March 2026). Exiting the quarter, Powell’s new orders totaled $490 million, much higher than $439 million at the end of the previous quarter.
Given the company’s robust backlog, solid liquidity and a strong balance sheet, it looks forward to witnessing solid revenues and earnings in fiscal 2026 (ending September 2026).
Segment Snapshot of POWL’s Peers
Franklin Electric Co. (FELE - Free Report) is witnessing solid momentum in the Energy Systems segment. In first-quarter 2026, net sales from Franklin Electric’s Energy Systems segment increased 7% year over year to $71.8 million. The segmental results were driven by an increase in volumes and price realization.
EnerSys (ENS - Free Report) is benefiting from the expansion of U.S. communications networks, fueled by AI-driven data demand. Increased demand for products from industrial customers is driving the Energy Systems segment’s results. Revenues from EnerSys’ Energy Systems segment increased 7% to $425.7 million in fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended March 31, 2026).
POWL’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Shares of Powell have surged 45% in the past three months compared with the industry’s growth of 15.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, POWL is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 40.73X, above the industry’s average of 24.99X. Powell carries a Value Score of F.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for POWL’s fiscal 2026 (ending September 2026) earnings has decreased 1.8% over the past 60 days. However, the consensus estimates for fiscal 2027 (ending September 2027) have increased 9.8%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.