A O Smith Corp vs NetApp Inc. — how do they compare? A O Smith Corp trades at $62.66 (market cap $8.65B), while NetApp Inc. trades at $201.29 (market cap $38.95B). The key difference: NetApp Inc. is far larger — about 4.5× A O Smith Corp's market cap, and A O Smith Corp pays the higher dividend (2.26%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AOS | NTAP | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.65B | $38.95B |
Sector | Industrials | Technology |
52-Week High | $80.47 | $198.72 |
52-Week Low | $55.78 | $94.11 |
Enterprise Value | $9.15B | $38.10B |
Dividend Yield | 2.26% | 1.05% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
A. O. Smith Corporation (AOS) trades at $62.47, showing modest daily gains. The stock exhibits a bullish technical trend with strong moving average signals, though RSI levels suggest potential near-term overbought conditions. Fundamentally, the company maintains solid profitability with a net income margin of 13.15% and ROE of 27.13%, supported by consistent revenue around $3.8 billion. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations, but Q1 2026 was a miss, reflecting some volatility. A quarterly dividend of $0.36 provides income appeal.
The outlook for AOS is cautiously optimistic, with a consensus price target of $67.25 implying upside potential. Strengths include robust cash flow from operations and high return metrics. Key risks involve exposure to input cost pressures, competitive markets, and mixed quarterly earnings performance. Investor sentiment is balanced, with analyst ratings leaning Hold. The stock presents a value opportunity for those comfortable with industrial sector cyclicality.
NetApp (NTAP) trades at $200.96, up 1.13% with strong technical momentum as it approaches resistance near $201. The stock shows robust fundamentals with consistent earnings beats (Q1 2026 EPS of $2.43 vs. $2.27 expected) and impressive profitability metrics including 70.74% gross margin and 106.73% ROE. Recent acquisitions of JetStream Software and DataPelago strengthen the company's AI infrastructure capabilities, positioning it for growth in the enterprise data storage market.
Outlook remains positive with Wall Street analysts maintaining a mixed but leaning bullish stance (36.62% Buy ratings). Key opportunities include AI-driven demand for data infrastructure, while risks involve elevated valuation multiples (P/E 31.26) and competitive pressures in the storage sector. The current price sits near analyst consensus target of $170.73, suggesting limited near-term upside potential.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →NetApp is a leading provider of enterprise data management and storage solutions. The company's three operating business units are products, software maintenance, and hardware maintenance. NetApp transitioned from a data center storage firm to a company with software data management solutions for multicloud environments. The California-headquartered company sells globally and has approximately 10,000 employees.
Read more on NTAP →