
A. O. Smith Acquires Leonard Valve, Strengthens Product Offerings
AOS expands its water management portfolio with the $470 million acquisition of Leonard Valve, boosting digital and thermostatic mixing offerings.
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AOS expands its water management portfolio with the $470 million acquisition of Leonard Valve, boosting digital and thermostatic mixing offerings.

MILWAUKEE, Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, Jan. 29, and has scheduled an investor conference call to follow at 10:00 a.m.

NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Leonard Valve Company ("Leonard Valve" or the "Company"), a leading provider of water temperature and flow control solutions, and Bessemer Investors LLC ("Bessemer"), a New York-based investment firm, today announced that Bessemer has completed the sale of Leonard Valve to A. O. Smith Corporation ("A.

MILWAUKEE, Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Global water technology company A. O. Smith Corporation (the "Company" or "A.

AOS gains from North America strength, expands via acquisitions and boosts shareholder returns, but faces China softness and rising costs.

The ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrat ETF (NOBL) underperformed SPY in 2025, gaining 7.2% versus SPY's 18.42%. Despite average underperformance, select Aristocrats like CAH (+74.18%), ALB (+66.90%), and CHRW (+61.22%) delivered strong double-digit returns. Dividend growth for the Aristocrats slowed to 5.52% in 2025, down from 5.78% in 2024, with 68 of 69 raising payouts.

The market appears expensive, with historical precedent for long periods of low returns after peaks. Consensus expects 15% S&P 500 earnings growth and rising margins, driven by AI innovation, supporting a steady long-term outlook. Analyst forecasts for 2026 should be viewed skeptically, as actual outcomes often diverge from consensus projections.

A. O. Smith is rated Buy, with risk/reward attractive as growth and margins are set to accelerate from FY26. North America drives ~75% of revenue; interest rate cuts and housing recovery should fuel market share gains and sales growth. Margin expansion is supported by pricing, cost control, mix shift to high-efficiency products, and accretive acquisitions like Leonard Valve.

Wartsila (OTCMKTS:WRTBY - Get Free Report) and A. O. Smith (NYSE: AOS - Get Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations and risk. Profitability This table compares Wartsila and A. O.

Caxton Associates LLP trimmed its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) by 33.5% in the undefined quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 31,546 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 15,896 shares during

Fisher Asset Management LLC trimmed its holdings in A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) by 97.8% during the undefined quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 40,144 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,786,000 shares during the period.

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia wins the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, becoming the program's first honoree after a record-setting, standout season.

AOS rides strong North American heater demand and strategic acquisitions, though China weakness and rising costs pose challenges.

The ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL) has underperformed the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) year-to-date, but November shows a reversal. Several Dividend Aristocrats, including CAH, CAT, CHRW, and ALB, have posted double-digit gains in 2025, while others lag behind. Dividend growth among Aristocrats averages 5.46% for 2025, with most constituents announcing increases, though growth is slightly below 2024 levels.

Boston Partners trimmed its holdings in A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) by 13.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 86,122 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 13,385 shares during the period. Boston Partners

ABN Amro Investment Solutions purchased a new stake in shares of A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 57,420 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $3,765,000. A number of other hedge funds

MILWAUKEE , Nov. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Global water technology company A. O. Smith Corporation (the "Company" or "A.

Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its stake in shares of A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) by 64.4% in the undefined quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,832 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 11,294 shares during

Bessemer Group Inc. cut its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) by 51.2% during the undefined quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,885 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 4,077 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc.'s

Fewer than 70 companies have achieved Dividend Aristocrats® status, and even fewer are Dividend Kings with 50 years of dividend increases and counting. Some of these companies, however, only offer meager dividend increases that sometimes trail inflation, so not all are buys for income investors.