Price movement over the last 24 hours
A O Smith Corp vs Northrop Grumman Corporation — how do they compare? A O Smith Corp trades at $60.44 (market cap $8.33B), while Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $540.13 (market cap $76.65B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is far larger — about 9.2× A O Smith Corp's market cap, and A O Smith Corp pays the higher dividend (2.35%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AOS | NOC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.33B | $76.65B |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $80.47 | $768.02 |
52-Week Low | $55.78 | $496.02 |
Enterprise Value | $8.78B | $90.87B |
Dividend Yield | 2.35% | 1.74% |
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.
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $539.63, up 1.39% with a bearish technical signal despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows strong fundamentals with a $95.61B backlog, 10.8% net margin, and consistent cash flow growth. Analyst consensus remains bullish with a $694.40 price target, though technical indicators show resistance near $542.
NOC presents a compelling value opportunity with reasonable valuation (P/E 16.92) and strong defense sector positioning. Key risks include political budget uncertainty and execution challenges. The upcoming Q2 earnings on July 21, 2026, will be crucial for confirming growth trajectory amid current technical weakness.
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 →Northrop Grumman is a defense contractor that is diversified across short-cycle and long-cycle businesses. The firm's segments include aeronautics, mission systems, defense services, and space systems. The company's aerospace segment creates the fuselage for the massive F-35 program and produces various piloted and autonomous flight systems. Mission systems creates a variety of sensors and processors for defense hardware. The defense systems segment is a long-range missile manufacturer. Finally, the company's space systems segment produces various space structures, sensors, and satellites.
Read more on NOC →