A O Smith Corp vs American Water Works Company Inc — how do they compare? A O Smith Corp trades at $60.68 (market cap $8.33B), while American Water Works Company Inc trades at $130.3 (market cap $25.52B). The key difference: American Water Works Company Inc is far larger — about 3.1× A O Smith Corp's market cap, and American Water Works Company Inc pays the higher dividend (2.74%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AOS | AWK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.33B | $25.52B |
Sector | Industrials | Utilities |
52-Week High | $80.47 | $147.00 |
52-Week Low | $55.78 | $121.13 |
Enterprise Value | $8.78B | $41.08B |
Dividend Yield | 2.35% | 2.74% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
A.O. Smith (AOS) trades at $60.44, up 2.41% today, with a bearish technical signal despite recent leadership changes. The company reported mixed Q1 2026 earnings, missing EPS estimates at $0.85 versus $0.94 expected, while maintaining solid profitability with a 13.84% net margin. Cash flow trends show improving operations, and the stock offers a dividend with a recent $0.36 payout announced.
The outlook is cautious due to earnings volatility and bearish technicals, but valuation appears reasonable with a P/E of 16.12. Risks include China market weakness and competitive pressures, while analyst consensus leans hold with a $68 price target suggesting modest upside potential from current levels.
American Water Works (AWK) trades at $130.69, up 0.11% with a neutral technical outlook. The stock shows strong fundamentals with consistent revenue growth from $3.8B in 2022 to $5.1B in 2025, maintaining profit margins above 21%. Recent developments include infrastructure investments and regulatory approvals, while analyst consensus leans slightly bullish with a $137 price target.
AWK presents a stable investment opportunity with predictable utility earnings and dividend income. Key risks include regulatory rate approvals and capital expenditure requirements. The stock offers moderate upside potential with balanced analyst sentiment supporting long-term growth in essential water services.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
A.O. Smith Corporation manufactures and markets comprehensive lines of residential and commercial gas, gas tankless, and electric water heaters. Supplementary products include water heating equipment, condensing and noncondensing boilers, and water system tanks. The company's two operating segments are by geographic region: North America (majority of total revenue) and the Rest of the World. A material portion of sales in North America derive from replacing existing products, and the company utilizes a wholesale distribution channel and multiple selling locations. The Rest of the World segment sells primarily to Asian countries and operates sales offices to expand distribution and market its product portfolio.
Read more on AOS →American Water Works is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility, serving approximately 3.5 million customers in 16 states. It provides water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers and operates predominantly in regulated markets. The company's only nonregulated business is water services for military bases, which operates under long-term contracts.
Read more on AWK →