SEI vs TDW: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: TDW is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. SEI and TDW share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined SEI and TDW exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Solaris Energy Infrastructure (NYSE:SEI), formerly Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure (ticker SOI until September 2024), operates two segments. Solaris Power Solutions leases mobile natural-gas turbine power generation, control, and distribution equipment to data centers, energy operators, and industrial customers, while Solaris Logistics Solutions provides sand-handling and material-management systems used to complete oil and gas wells. The company has pivoted hard toward distributed power as demand from AI and data center buildouts has surged, expanding its power fleet and signing multiple long-term contracts with large technology firms, including one investment-grade customer for more than 600 MW under a 10-year term.

Full SEI guide

Tidewater owns and charters offshore support vessels (mainly platform supply vessels and anchor handling tug supply vessels) that ferry crews, equipment, and supplies between shore bases and offshore oil, gas, and wind installations. As of March 2026 the company operated a fleet of roughly 206 vessels with an average age of about 13 years across the major global offshore basins, and its earnings are driven almost entirely by vessel utilization and day rates. It generates revenue through charter contracts with energy producers and drillers, so its results track the broader offshore capital spending cycle closely.

Full TDW guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• SEI drivers: AI and data center power demand; Fleet expansion and long-term contracts.
• TDW drivers: Tightening vessel supply; Contracted backlog and reaffirmed guidance.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Customer concentration is the dominant risk: as of late 2024 a single large customer accounted for the vast majority of power solutions revenue, so any contract change, delay, or non-renewal could sharply affect results. For TDW, tidewater's revenue is tightly linked to offshore oil and gas capital spending, which is highly cyclical and sensitive to commodity prices, so a downturn in drilling activity would pressure utilization and day rates directly.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick SEI if you believe its drivers more; TDW if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the SEI and TDW guides.

SEI. SEI trades at a rich trailing P/E in the roughly 80 to 95 range, reflecting expectations that its contracted power fleet drives large forward earnings growth. Q1 2026 delivered record revenue near $196 million and Adjusted EBITDA of about $84 million, ahead of consensus, and management raised near-term EBITDA guidance. The company carries roughly $1.3 billion of net debt after refinancing, keeping leverage near 1.3 times EBITDA.

TDW. Tidewater reported fiscal Q1 2026 revenue of about $326 million with net income of roughly $6 million, down sharply from about $43 million a year earlier as costs and margins pressured the bottom line even though the top line held up. The stock trades around a low-double-digit trailing P/E and an EV/EBITDA near 8.5x, valuations that reflect its cyclical, capital-heavy profile. Management reaffirmed 2026 revenue guidance of roughly $1.43 billion to $1.48 billion and gross margins near 49% to 51%.

Headline figures (approximate, MAY 2026): SEI shows revenue (ttm) ~$690M, revenue (fy2025) ~$622M, q1 2026 revenue ~$196M (up ~55% YoY), adjusted ebitda (ttm) ~$283M; TDW shows revenue (ttm) ~$1.35B, 2026 revenue guidance ~$1.43B-$1.48B, fiscal q1 2026 revenue ~$326M, fiscal q1 2026 net income ~$6M.

SEI and TDW are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined SEI and TDW exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.