Risk Intelligence
Core Model
B−
75 / 100
Fundamentally Qualified
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Above average on this measure.
Suggestions
AOS · NYSE
SMITH A O CORP
Private betaSector unavailable · Industry unavailable
$57.39
+1.20%
Close on Sep 11, 2026
Defensively Qualified
Updated 6/30/2026
Long-term research evidence only. No price targets, no trading signals, no recommendations.
Investment Report Card
SMITH A O CORP
Sector unavailable · Data confidence good
63 / 100
Rank #168 of 1,152 qualified companies
Top 25% · Watch
Long-Term Potential
Research Model
C
62 / 100
Ordinary Compounder
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Fundamental Momentum
Research Model
D
42 / 100
Middle
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Ownership Intelligence
Supplemental Intelligence
B+
80 / 100
Positive disclosed activity
What are important owners actually doing?
Above average on this measure.
Valuation Intelligence
Research Model
B−
72 / 100
Attractive
Is today's price reasonable?
Above average on this measure — and valuation is researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Capital Returns Intelligence
Research Model
B
77 / 100
Strong Capital Returns
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Above average on this measure — and capital returns are researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Why it stands out
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
- Attractive valuation: the stock reads 72 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence (Attractive) relative to its own history and comparable companies.
What holds it back
No weakening evidence is recorded in today's readings.
Long-term view
SMITH A O CORP scores 62 on Long-Term Potential (C), described by the research model as ordinary compounder. This describes business characteristics only — it is not a forecast of future returns.
Ownership view
Disclosed ownership evidence reads 80 (B+): Positive disclosed activity. 2 tracked managers disclosed a position in the latest reporting period. Ownership filings are historical disclosures, not signals.
Valuation view
SMITH A O CORP reads 72 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Attractive. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and below comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
Capital returns view
SMITH A O CORP reads 77 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 13.8% a year and a share count falling about 3.1% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What changed
No meaningful recorded changes in the stored history.
Risk Intelligence is a core model, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence are research models, and Ownership Intelligence is supplemental descriptive evidence. Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence each contribute 0% to the Suggested Investment Score. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Compare AOS with other companiesAppears in
Rule-based membership
- Effective Buyback Leaderssince 2026-09-12
- Dividend Growth Leaderssince 2026-09-12
- Attractive Valuationsince 2026-09-12
Membership means the company satisfied a published rule on the latest research build. It is not a recommendation.
About a minute to read
The 60-Second Investment Brief
Written from stored research readings only. No hype. No trading signals. Just better evidence.
Why it's interesting
SMITH A O CORP (AOS) scores 63 out of 100 and ranks #168 of 1,152 qualified companies today. That places it in the top 25% of ranked companies. The stored tier for that score is watch.
Business strength
Risk Intelligence reads 75 out of 100 (B−), recorded as fundamentally qualified. Above average on this measure.
Long-term opportunity
Long-Term Potential reads 62 out of 100 (C), recorded as ordinary compounder. Around the middle of the covered universe.
What's improving or weakening
Fundamental Momentum reads 42 out of 100 (D), recorded as middle. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What important owners are doing
Ownership Intelligence reads 80 out of 100 (B+), recorded as positive disclosed activity. Above average on this measure.
What kind of price you'd be paying
Valuation currently appears favourable: Valuation Intelligence reads 72 out of 100 (B−), recorded as Attractive. SMITH A O CORP reads 72 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Attractive. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and below comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
How the company rewards shareholders
Capital Returns Intelligence reads 77 out of 100 (B), recorded as Strong Capital Returns. SMITH A O CORP reads 77 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 13.8% a year and a share count falling about 3.1% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What could go wrong
No weakening factors are recorded in today's stored readings, and data confidence is good. Absence of a recorded weakness is not evidence of safety.
Bottom line
Its strongest recorded evidence is Ownership Intelligence. Fundamental Momentum remains the main area to watch. Separately from the score, valuation reads attractive at today's price.
Composite discovery model
Suggested Investment Score
Suggested Investment Score
63 / 100
Watch
A 0–100 composite discovery score combining Risk Intelligence, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, and Ownership Intelligence. It helps rank qualified companies for further research and does not predict future returns.
- Rank
- #168 of 694
- Percentile
- Top 25%
- Ranking updated
- September 12, 2026
97Rank weakened by 97 positions. Rank weakened by 97 positions.
- Risk Intelligence
- 75
- Long-Term Potential
- 62
- Fundamental Momentum
- 42
- Ownership Intelligence
- 80
30% contribution
30% contribution
20% contribution
20% contribution
Ownership Intelligence
80 / 100 · Strong · 20% of the Suggested Investment Score
SUPPLEMENTAL / DESCRIPTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Coverage: Partial Coverage
- Elite Investor Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Institutional Activity
- 80 · Strong
- Insider Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Strategic Ownership
- Insufficient Data
50% of Ownership Intelligence · 10% of the total score
No reliably mapped professional-manager filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
20% of Ownership Intelligence · 4% of the total score
Broad institutional evidence from resolved filings is strong.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No discretionary insider transactions are stored for this company, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No qualifying major-holder filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
Ownership Intelligence summarizes publicly disclosed activity among professional investment managers, broader institutions, company insiders, and significant strategic owners. It adds context to investment research but is not a validated predictor of future performance. Ownership information is publicly reported with a delay; the latest applicable reporting period is 2026-06-30, publicly disclosed 9/11/2026. Congressional activity is unavailable pending legal review and contributes nothing to this reading.
Why it ranks here
Strong risk profile
Risk Intelligence ranks in the top 18% of qualified companies, with lower_risk price risk.
What holds it back
Fundamental Momentum is softer
Reported business trends rank below the qualified median.
Ownership Intelligence — Partial Coverage
Only part of the ownership evidence is available for this company. Missing evidence is left missing rather than replaced with a neutral value.
COMPOSITE DISCOVERY MODEL — RESEARCH STAGE · Data coverage Good. Rankings are recalculated daily using the latest available information. Individual components may update at different frequencies based on when new financial and ownership data becomes available.
Researched separately
Valuation Intelligence 72 · Attractive
RESEARCH MODEL
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
Researched separately
Capital Returns Intelligence 77 · Strong Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
Score explanation
Why this company scores the way it does
Four research areas carry fixed weights. Each area is compared against every other eligible company, then weighted. The four contributions below add to 62.8 of the stored score (62.8).
Risk Intelligence
30% of the score · contributes 24.7 points
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Stands at the 82 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 75 · 39% of this company’s total score
How financially sturdy the company has been when conditions turned against it.
How this area is measured
Risk Intelligence reads stored balance-sheet strength, historical downside behaviour and the company's price-risk grouping. A stronger reading describes past resilience; it does not protect against future losses.
Full methodologyLong-Term Potential
30% of the score · contributes 21.6 points
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Stands at the 72 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 62 · 34% of this company’s total score
Whether the business has the durable characteristics long-term owners look for.
How this area is measured
Long-Term Potential reads durability characteristics such as profitability consistency, cash generation and reinvestment capability over multiple reported periods.
Full methodologyFundamental Momentum
20% of the score · contributes 6.3 points
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Stands at the 31 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 42 · 10% of this company’s total score
Whether the reported business results have been getting stronger or weaker.
How this area is measured
Fundamental Momentum compares recent reported fundamentals with the company's own earlier periods, so improvement or deterioration is measured against its history rather than against a forecast.
Full methodologyOwnership Intelligence
20% of the score · contributes 10.2 points
What are important owners actually doing?
Stands at the 51 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 80 · 16% of this company’s total score
What large reporting owners have actually been doing with their positions.
How this area is measured
Ownership Intelligence reads public ownership filings: how many tracked reporting owners hold the company, and whether they were adding, holding, reducing or exiting in the latest disclosed period.
Full methodology
What is helping the score
- Risk Intelligence — 82 percentile, adding 24.7 points.
- Long-Term Potential — 72 percentile, adding 21.6 points.
What deserves attention
- Fundamental Momentum — 31 percentile, adding only 6.3 of a possible 20 points.
Outside the score
Additional research — not currently included in the primary Suggested Investment Score.
- Valuation Intelligence — SMITH A O CORP reads 72 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Attractive. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and below comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
- Capital Returns Intelligence — SMITH A O CORP reads 77 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 13.8% a year and a share count falling about 3.1% a year.
Stored snapshots only
What changed
Research-score history available since September 2026.
Stored research history does not yet cover a full 30 days comparison for this company.
A change is reported as meaningful at 8 score points, 5 rank places, or any change of research classification. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Learn the metrics on this page
Plain-English definitions, with the formula and the limitations of each measure.
Fifth research lens · outside the score
Valuation Intelligence
Valuation Intelligence
Is today's price reasonable?
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
72/ 100
Attractive
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Compared with its history
97
Very Attractive
Is this company expensive or inexpensive compared with its own history?
Compared with peers
65
Attractive
How expensive is this stock compared with similar companies?
Earnings & cash flow
73
Very Attractive
How much financial output does an investor receive relative to the price paid?
Growth-adjusted
42
Elevated
Does the company's growth help justify the valuation investors are paying?
SMITH A O CORP reads 72 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Attractive. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and below comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended June 30, 2026
Valuation history
Stored readings only. The dashed line is this company's own median for the selected measure.
Only one stored valuation reading exists so far, so there is nothing to chart yet. Valuation history builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Current P/E 15.6x · own median 23.0x · peer median 26.7x
Valuation is inherently uncertain. A stock that appears inexpensive can continue falling, and a stock that appears expensive can continue rising. Valuation Intelligence provides context about the price investors are paying — it does not predict short-term market movements, and it never produces a fair value, a price target or a buy or sell range. Model VALUATION_INTELLIGENCE_V1.
Sixth research lens · outside the score
Capital Returns Intelligence
Capital Returns Intelligence
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
77/ 100
Strong Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Dividend Quality
86
Exceptional Capital Returns
Dividend reliability
Buyback Effectiveness
78
Strong Capital Returns
Do buybacks actually reduce shares?
Dilution Control
78
Strong Capital Returns
Is your ownership share protected?
Capital Return Sustainability
62
Favorable Capital Returns
Can the cash flow support it?
Shareholder Yield
82
Exceptional Capital Returns
Cash returned versus company value
SMITH A O CORP reads 77 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 13.8% a year and a share count falling about 3.1% a year.
How returned cash was used
Dividends $198.00M · net repurchases $310.40M · total returned $508.40M · 80% of free cash flow
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended June 30, 2026
Capital returns history
Stored readings only. History builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Only one stored reading exists for this measure so far, so there is nothing to chart yet.
Why higher yield isn't always better
A very high dividend yield may reflect a falling share price or an unsustainable payout. Capital Returns Intelligence emphasizes consistency and sustainability rather than simply rewarding the highest yield.
Why buybacks can be misleading
Announced or gross buyback spending does not always mean shareholders are gaining ownership. Companies can simultaneously issue shares through employee compensation or acquisitions. Suggested Investments therefore considers actual share-count changes alongside repurchase spending.
What these terms mean
- Dividend Yield
- The annual dividend relative to the current share price.
- Payout Ratio
- The share of company earnings used to pay dividends.
- Free Cash Flow Payout
- How much of the company's available cash is being used for dividends.
- Share Repurchases
- When a company buys back its own stock.
- Dilution
- When the number of shares increases, reducing each existing share's percentage ownership of the company.
- Shareholder Yield
- A combined view of dividends and net share repurchases relative to the company's market value.
Capital Returns Intelligence describes how a company returns capital to shareholders. It is not a measure of stock-price performance, it does not predict future returns, and a strong reading is never a recommendation to buy. Dividends and repurchases can be reduced or stopped at any time. Model CAPITAL_RETURNS_INTELLIGENCE_V1, contributing 0% to the Suggested Investment Score.
Stored daily snapshots only
Ranking history
| Today | #168 | Score 63 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| 90 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| First suggested | September 12, 2026 | |
| Highest rank | #168 | |
In the company’s own words
What this company does
As used in this annual report on Form 10-K, references to the "Company," "A. O. Smith," "AOS," "we," "us," and "our" refer to A. O. Smith and its consolidated subsidiaries. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto under "Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" in this annual report on Form 10-K. Our company is comprised of two reporting segments: North America and Rest of World. Both segments manufacture and market comprehensive lines of residential and commercial gas and electric water heaters, boilers, heat pumps, tanks and water treatment products. Both segments primarily manufacture and market in their respective regions of the world. Our Rest of World segment is primarily comprised of China, India, and Europe.
Sales in our North America segment accounted for approximately 78 percent of our total sales in 2025. This segment serves residential and commercial end markets with a broad range of products including:
Water heaters . Our residential and commercial water heaters primarily come in sizes ranging from 40 to 80 gallon models. However, we also offer sizes as low as 2.5 gallon (point-of-use) and as high as 2,500 gallon products with varying efficiency ranges. We offer electric, natural gas and liquid propane tank-type models as well as tankless (gas and electric), heat pump and solar tank units. Typical applications for our water heaters include residences, restaurants, hotels, office buildings, laundries, car washes, schools and small businesses.
Boilers. Our residential and commercial boilers range in size from 45,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) to 6.0 million BTUs. Boilers are closed loop water heating systems used primarily for space heating or hydronic heating. Our boilers are primarily used in applications in commercial settings for hospitals, schools, hotels and other large commercial buildings while residential boilers are used in homes, apartments and condominiums.
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed February 10, 2026. Read the filing
Four distinct intelligence areas
The IA view
Risk Intelligence
Production core
75
Fundamentally Qualified
+9.4 vs Jun 30, 2026
Business Quality qualification score from the locked IA Defensive Research Core. Price Risk stays a separate category and is never blended in.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Long-Term Potential
Research model
62
Elite Compounder
+12 vs Jun 30, 2026
Durable business economics and reinvestment characteristics. Independent external validation is pending.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Fundamental Momentum
Research model
42
Middle
-7.5 vs Jun 30, 2026
Direction and breadth of change in underlying business fundamentals. Not a price-momentum signal.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Elite Investor Activity
Supplemental
—
Insufficient Data
No prior period to compare
Too few tracked managers disclosed a position to describe consensus.
Company intelligence
AOS score history
Each area is measured and reported separately. No combined score exists.
AOS intelligence history from 2023-09-30 to 2026-09-11. Risk Intelligence 74.8 on 2026-09-11, up 9.4 from 65.4 on 2026-06-30. Long-Term Potential 62.1 on 2026-09-11, up 12 from 50.1 on 2026-06-30. Fundamental Momentum 42.4 on 2026-09-11, down 7.5 from 49.9 on 2026-06-30. Each area is reported separately and is never combined into a single score.
Risk Intelligence 74.8 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+9.4 vs prior period) · Production core
Long-Term Potential 62.1 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+12 vs prior period) · Research model
Fundamental Momentum 42.4 as of Sep 11, 2026 (-7.5 vs prior period) · Research model
Share price
AOS price history
Closing prices adjusted for splits and dividends, through Sep 11, 2026. Past prices do not indicate future results.
- 6M change
- -12.8%
- 1Y change
- -21.0%
- 3Y change
- -9.4%
- 5Y change
- -5.1%
- Max change
- +36.9%
Last stored close $57.39 · -21.0% over the selected range · 52 sessions shown
Balanced evidence
Why IA likes it
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
Risk and uncertainty
What IA doesn’t like
- No specific negative evidence is available. This is not evidence of low risk.
What would change our view
- Business Quality falling below the frozen qualification threshold.
- Price Risk moving to a less favorable category.
- A sustained reversal in the Fundamental Momentum research evidence.
- New material public ownership disclosures.
Public filings · descriptive only
Elite Investor Activity
Reporting holders
5
New holders
2
Increasing
1
Reducing
2
Exiting
0
Coverage
Excellent
Positive disclosed activity · Report period 2022-03-31 · Public 12/19/2023
| Manager | Change | Portfolio weight | Rank | Disclosed |
|---|
Insufficient high-confidence manager coverage.
Objective stored changes
What changed
- Risk Intelligence
Price Risk category changed
Price Risk moved from Not Available to Lower risk.
- Fundamental Momentum
Fundamental Momentum softened
Fundamental Momentum research score moved from 49.9 to 39.8.
- Risk Intelligence
IA Defensive improved
Business Quality qualification score moved from 63.6 to 65.4.
- Fundamental Momentum
Fundamental Momentum softened
Fundamental Momentum research score moved from 63.0 to 49.9.
Ownership timeline
No high-confidence public ownership events are available.
General research only. Not personalized advice. Public filings may be delayed, amended, incomplete, or reflect positions that have changed since the reporting date.