NEW YORK, Jan 16, 2026, 12:27 EST — Regular session underway.
- Shares of Powell Industries climbed roughly 8% by midday, outstripping the majority of their industrial sector rivals
- A Tema ETFs quarterly holdings report revealed a significant stake in the stock
- U.S. factory output climbed in December, giving a boost to electrical equipment manufacturers
Shares of Powell Industries surged on Friday, climbing roughly 8% to $439.37 during midday trading and reaching an intraday peak of $445.32.
This matters now because Powell, a small-cap electrical power equipment maker, often behaves like a high-beta play tied to heavy capital expenditures. It has no connection to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, despite sharing the name.
Traders noted new signs of positioning and demand in the industrial sector, a combination that can send lightly traded industrial stocks moving fast ahead of the long U.S. holiday weekend.
Tema ETFs revealed in its latest quarterly Form 13F that it owns 76,338 shares of Powell Industries, with a market value near $24.3 million. 1
A Form 13F offers a quarterly snapshot of stock holdings by major U.S. money managers. It reports positions as of the quarter’s close and doesn’t capture same-day trades, but it highlights where big investors have been increasing their stakes.
The Federal Reserve released data showing U.S. industrial production climbed 0.4% in December. Factory output edged up 0.2%, and utilities output surged 2.6%. 2
KPMG senior economist Ken Kim reported that output in electrical equipment, appliances, and components climbed 1.7% in December, boosted by activity in data center construction. He described the change as turning “a major drag” into “a tailwind” for manufacturing. 3
Shares of other power and electrification-related companies also climbed. Eaton jumped roughly 4%, Vertiv added close to 4%, and nVent increased about 4% by midday.
Powell manufactures custom-engineered equipment for distributing, controlling, and monitoring electrical energy. Its markets span oil and gas, petrochemical, electric utilities, and data centers, according to its annual report. Key competitors include ABB, Eaton, Schneider, and Siemens Industries. 4
But the setup works both ways. Sharp swings in the stock often reflect flows and sentiment, while 13F filings lag behind. If project activity slows or margins come under strain, shares could take a serious hit as momentum traders exit.
Broader U.S. stocks gained on Friday as markets prepared to shut Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 5
Traders will be watching for follow-through once Wall Street reopens Tuesday, alongside additional institutional filings as the reporting season continues. Powell’s annual meeting is scheduled for Feb. 18, per the latest proxy filing. 6
