Acuity (AYI) vs Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW) has outperformed Acuity (AYI) over the past year, gaining 72.5% versus a loss of 13.4%. Over five years, AYI leads with a +44.6% price change compared with -10.5% for BW. Acuity is the larger company by market cap ($8.99 billion vs $840.2 million), about 10.7 times the size.
On valuation, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises trades at a lower forward P/E (12.6x vs 12.9x for Acuity). Acuity pays a dividend yielding 0.26%, while Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises does not currently pay one.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | AYI | BW |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $300.42 | $5.64 |
| Market cap | $8.99B | $840.16M |
| 1-day change | -0.84% | -4.57% |
| YTD return | -16.56% | -11.04% |
| 1-year return | -13.39% | +72.48% |
| 5-year return | +44.62% | -10.48% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 17.62 | — |
| Forward P/E | 12.90 | 12.60 |
| EPS (TTM) | $17.05 | $-0.61 |
| Dividend yield | 0.26% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.77 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $4.35B | — |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +13.14% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $396.60M | — |
| Gross margin | 47.83% | — |
| Operating margin | 12.98% | — |
| Net margin | 9.13% | — |
| 52-week high | $380.17 | $22.03 |
| 52-week low | $257.04 | $3.06 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -20.98% | -74.40% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | none |
| Avg. price target upside | +26.27% | +290.07% |
| Average volume | 306.60K | 4.72M |
| Shares outstanding | 29.94M | 148.97M |
| Employees | 13,000 | 1,600 |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Industrials |
| Industry | Building Products | Specialty Industrial Machinery |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Acuity is about 10.7 times larger than Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises by market value ($8.99B vs $840.16M).
- BW has outperformed AYI by 85.9 percentage points over the past year.
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Acuity in Consumer Discretionary and Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises in Industrials.
About Acuity
AYI stock →Acuity Inc. provides lighting, lighting controls, building management system, and an audio, video, and control platform in the United States and internationally.
Consumer Discretionary · Building Products · 13,000 employees
About Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises
BW stock →Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides energy and emissions control solutions to industrial, electrical utility, municipal, and other customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The company offers BrightLoop chemical looping technology, which produces steam, hydrogen, or syngas for applications in the energy, industrial, and agricultural sectors.
Industrials · Specialty Industrial Machinery · 1,600 employees
AYI vs BW FAQ
Which is bigger, Acuity or Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises?
Acuity (AYI) is larger, with a market capitalization of $8.99B compared with $840.16M for Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, AYI or BW?
BW returned +72.48% over the past 12 months, compared with -13.39% for AYI (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which pays a higher dividend, Acuity or Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises?
Acuity pays a dividend yielding 0.26%, while Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises does not currently pay a regular dividend.
Are Acuity and Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises in the same industry?
No. Acuity is in the Consumer Discretionary sector, while Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises is in Industrials.