New York, Jan 12, 2026, 13:31 ET — Regular session
- Shares of Powell Industries jumped roughly 7% in early afternoon trading
- The upgrade came after Wall Street Zen raised its rating from “hold” to “buy”
- Investors are focused on early-February results and the annual meeting set for Feb. 18
Shares of Powell Industries, Inc. jumped 6.6% to $389.74 in early afternoon trading on Monday, hitting an intraday peak of $396.80. Roughly 213,000 shares traded hands.
The jump counts because Powell’s moves have turned into a gauge of whether funds are still betting on U.S. electrification and heavy industry spending. With shares hovering near recent peaks, new buying often hits quickly — and can reverse just as fast.
Powell outpaced the modest 0.5% gain in the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund. Eaton shares climbed 1.1%, Vertiv jumped 3.7%, nVent increased 0.9%, and AZZ edged up 0.3%.
Traders reacted to a new push from Wall Street Zen, which lifted Powell Industries from “hold” to “buy” in a note published Sunday, MarketBeat reported. The same source set an average price target at $350, with the stock now trading about 11% above that mark following Monday’s jump. (MarketBeat)
The broader market held firm, as the SPDR S&P 500 ETF nudged up 0.1%, suggesting Powell’s action wasn’t merely riding along with index momentum.
Houston-based Powell manufactures switchgear and other power distribution equipment for utility, oil and gas, and industrial sectors. Its latest quarterly report showed fourth-quarter revenue of $298 million and net income of $4.22 per diluted share, with a backlog—unfilled orders—of $1.4 billion. The company also completed the acquisition of Remsdaq, a U.K. firm specializing in SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems used in substation automation. “Customer activity in the data center market remains highly encouraging,” CEO Brett A. Cope said. (SEC)
Powell’s fiscal first-quarter earnings are due around Feb. 5, following their usual schedule, with a conference call set for Feb. 6 at 11:00 a.m. ET, MarketBeat reports. Investors will focus closely on order intake and margins to see if the late-2025 growth trajectory is staying on track into 2026. (MarketBeat)
That said, the situation isn’t one-sided. Backlog can shrink if projects face delays, get scaled back, or are scrapped altogether. Powell remains exposed to volatile sectors such as oil and gas. Since the shares already reflect smooth execution, any hiccup in orders or margins could sting more than usual.
Mark your calendars: Powell’s proxy filing pins Feb. 18, 2026 as the reporting period for its annual meeting documents. This event usually draws investor focus on executive compensation, board governance, and management’s outlook on demand ahead of the next earnings cycle. (SEC)
