A O Smith Corp vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? A O Smith Corp trades at $63.65 (market cap $8.65B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $150.01 (market cap $39.50B). The key difference: Yum! Brands, Inc. is far larger — about 4.6× 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 | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.65B | $39.50B |
Sector | Industrials | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $80.47 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $55.78 | $138.21 |
Enterprise Value | $9.15B | $51.10B |
Dividend Yield | 2.26% | 2.07% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
A.O. Smith Corporation (AOS) trades at $62.53, showing modest daily gains of 0.19%. The stock maintains strong profitability with 13.15% net margins and 27.13% ROE, though recent Q1 2026 earnings missed expectations. Technical indicators suggest a bullish trend with the current price near key support at $62. Recent leadership transition with Kevin Wheeler's retirement and Stephen Shafer assuming chairman role adds management continuity.
The outlook remains cautiously optimistic with a $67.25 consensus price target offering 7.5% upside potential. Strong North American performance and dividend growth provide support, but higher input costs and weaker China demand present headwinds. The stock's valuation appears reasonable at 17.74 P/E, though recent Zacks Strong Sell ratings warrant monitoring.
YUM trades at $150.15, up 3.32% in the past 24 hours, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but neutral oscillators. Recent earnings show a Q2 2026 beat with EPS of $1.62 versus $1.57 expected, while revenue grew to $8.21B in 2025. The company completed the sale of Pizza Hut China for $1.2B in August 2026, aiming to streamline operations and reduce debt. Cash flow from operations improved to $2.01B in 2025, supporting a dividend payment of $0.75 per share.
The outlook is mixed, with analyst consensus leaning hold (56.87%) but a price target of $174.60 implying 16% upside. Risks include ongoing legal investigations and a parasite outbreak impacting Taco Bell sales, though management reports recovery. Debt remains high at $11.25B long-term, but the debt-to-asset ratio improved to 143.49 in 2025. Execution on digital growth and brand focus post-Pizza Hut sale are key to unlocking value.
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 →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 →