Price movement over the last 24 hours
A O Smith Corp vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? A O Smith Corp trades at $61 (market cap $8.33B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $165.47 (market cap $45.08B). The key difference: Yum! Brands, Inc. is far larger — about 5.4× 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 | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.33B | $45.08B |
Sector | Industrials | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $80.47 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $55.78 | $138.21 |
Enterprise Value | $8.78B | $56.34B |
Dividend Yield | 2.35% | 1.83% |
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.
YUM trades at $163.54, up 0.71% with bullish technical signals and strong support at $158. Revenue grew to $8.21B in 2025 with a 20.48% net margin, though profit margins have slightly declined. The recent $2.7B Pizza Hut sale and $4B buyback authorization highlight strategic focus on KFC and Taco Bell growth. Cash flow from operations remains robust at $2.01B, supporting dividend payments and debt management.
Outlook is positive with analyst consensus target of $174 offering 6.4% upside, but high debt levels and competitive pressures pose risks. The stock's valuation at 26.38 P/E requires sustained earnings growth to justify further gains, making execution on digital initiatives and international expansion critical near-term catalysts.
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 →Yum Brands is a U.S.-based restaurant operator featuring a portfolio of four brands: KFC (26,930 global units), Pizza Hut (18,380 units), Taco Bell (7,790 units), and The Habit Burger (310 units) at year-end 2021. With $58 billion in 2021 systemwide sales, the firm is the second-largest restaurant company in the world, behind McDonald's ($112.5 billion) but ahead of Restaurant Brands International ($36 billion) and Starbucks ($25 billion). Yum is 98% franchised, with the largest franchisee, Yum China, created via a 2016 spinoff transaction (after which Yum China agreed to pay 3% royalties to Yum Brands in perpetuity). Yum is the newest evolution of Tricon Brands, formerly a division of PepsiCo, and generates the bulk of its revenue from franchise royalties and marketing contributions.
Read more on YUM →