AOS vs B Stock Comparison
AOS currently leads B in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 68 vs 60. The clearest difference is momentum, while B has the stronger quality profile.
What is the main difference between AOS and B?
AOS leads the current stock comparison as A. O. Smith Corporation, with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
A. O. Smith Corporation vs Barrick Mining Corporation
AOS leads
AOS leads by 8 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Value, and the lead has widened from 3 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors B on target upside.
Competitive: 4 of 6 evidence groups support AOS, its lead is widening, and its current signal state is conflicted.
A. O. Smith Corporation
Barrick Mining Corporation
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors AOS over B, 68 versus 60 as of Oct 31, 2026. AOS's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and value, while B holds the stronger quality profile. AOS also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors B. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor AOS today, and the comparison is rated Competitive on stability: the leader is throwing conflicting signals. AOS lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 8 points over 30 sessions.
Compare A. O. Smith Corporation and Barrick Mining Corporation across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare AOS and B against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum73 vs 40AOS +33
- Value66 vs 56AOS +10
- Quality69 vs 77B +8
- Risk Resilience65 vs 69B +4
4 of 6 evidence groups favor AOS. AOS’s edge is concentrated in momentum and value; B keeps a meaningful quality edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-28, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-27.
Largest factor move: Momentum -1
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 3 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum -2
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 4 active signals are unchanged.
AOS's lead was unchanged in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — AOS and B both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
AOS (A. O. Smith Corporation): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and value.
B (Barrick Mining Corporation): the counter-case, on quality, risk resilience, analyst expectations — but at materially higher volatility, 37.4% against 26.9%.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
AOSAOS on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
AOSAOS on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
AOSAOS on the peer-relative Value factor, by 10 points.
Momentum
AOSAOS on the Momentum factor, by 33 points.
Lower downside
BB on Risk Resilience, by 4 points.
Analyst upside
BB on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors AOS, analyst targets favor B. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | AOS | B | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +10.7% | +35% | B has more room |
| Target dispersion | +24.3% | +36% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 3 | 6 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Dividend growth
| Dividend metric | AOS | B |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y dividend CAGR | 7.09% | 11.11% |
| 2020 regular DPS | $0.980 | $0.310 |
| 2025 regular DPS | $1.380 | $0.525 |
| Years increased | 5 | 3 |
| No cut in window | Yes | No (1) |
| Cohort rank | #189 | not ranked |
B grew its split-adjusted regular dividend faster over 2020–2025 — 11.11% a year against AOS's 7.09%. AOS never reduced its regular dividend in the window; B did in 1 year. They are ranked in different cohorts — US dividend-paying corporations and variable-dividend payers — so their ranks are not comparable with each other.
Yield and payout ratio shown elsewhere on this page are current values, not part of the study window.
Split-adjusted regular dividends per share, 2020–2025, excluding special dividends. Research as of Sep 19, 2026.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor AOS. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | AOS | 68 vs 60 |
| Fundamentals | AOSon balance | revenue growth 6.2% vs 1.4%; EPS growth 5.9% vs -22.3%; TTM ROE 27% vs 24.6%; gross margin 38.6% vs 56.3%; operating margin 17.6% vs 52.9% — AOS takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | AOS | Value 66 vs 56 |
| Technicals | AOS | Price vs 50-day 7% vs -12.9%; vs 200-day -4.2% vs -6.1% |
| Risk Resilience | B | Risk Resilience 65 vs 69 |
| Analyst expectations | B | Target upside 10.7% vs 35% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of AOS and B and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 8 points.
- The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on AOS.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 29 – Oct 28AOS lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 8 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- AOS +8
- 68 vs 60
- 7 sessions ago
- AOS +10
- 69 vs 59
- 30 sessions ago
- AOS +3
- 59 vs 56
- 90 sessions ago
- B +5
- 63 vs 68
The lead changed hands 4 times in this window, most recently on Sep 28 when AOS moved ahead of B.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted
Only AOS
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (7.69%)
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
1 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only B
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (0.58%)
- Beta Spike Warning — bearish, risk, long horizon
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
AOS leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -0.66%, AIQ -1 points).
Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -4.29%, AIQ -1 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1B closes the Momentum gap — currently 33 points behind, the largest single contributor to AOS's edge.
- 2B's Beta Spike Warning resolves — a bearish risk rule currently active against it.
- 3AOS's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
AOS leads on balance| Metric | AOS | B |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 6.2% | 1.4% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 5.9% | -22.3% |
| Gross margin | 38.6% | 56.3% |
| Operating margin | 17.6% | 52.9% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 27% | 24.6% |
| Debt to equity | 0.37 | 0.17 |
Performance
B leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | AOS | B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 2% | -2.6% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 8% | -2.4% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 1.8% | 5.3% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -4.4% | 3.2% |
| Year to date | -9% | -8.9% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -11.7% | 22.2% |
Technicals
AOS has the stronger structure| Metric | AOS | B |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 70.7 | 48.5 |
| ADX (14) | 21.1 | 16.1 |
| Price vs 50-day | 7% | -12.9% |
| Price vs 200-day | -4.2% | -6.1% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 26.9% | 37.4% |
Risk
B is the more resilient| Metric | AOS | B |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.71 | 1.78 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.35 | 0.63 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.61 | 0.9 |
| Max drawdown | -31.2% | -34.2% |
| Current drawdown | -24.4% | -25.1% |
| Annualized volatility | 27.3% | 46.4% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -2.7% | -4.8% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, AOS or B?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, AOS is the stronger of the two as of Oct 31, 2026, scoring 68 against B's 60. The edge comes from momentum and value. B is not without a case — it holds the better quality profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is AOS or B the better buy right now?
AOS carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 31, 2026, and the comparison is rated Competitive — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Competitive rating means the two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
Why does the AIQ Score favor AOS over B?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. AOS leads Momentum by 33 points; AOS leads Value by 10 points; B leads Quality by 8 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, AOS or B?
Analyst price targets imply +10.7% upside for AOS and +35% for B, so the Street currently favors B. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors AOS. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, AOS or B?
AOS is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. AOS on the peer-relative Value factor, by 10 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, AOS or B?
AOS on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, AOS or B?
AOS on the Momentum factor, by 33 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, AOS or B?
B is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. B on Risk Resilience, by 4 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is AOS more profitable than B?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 38.6% vs 56.3%; operating margin 17.6% vs 52.9%; ttm roe 27% vs 24.6%. AOS leads on one measure and B on two measures, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is AOS's lead over B getting stronger or weaker?
AOS lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 8 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-29 and 2026-10-28. The lead has changed hands 4 times in that window, most recently on 2026-09-28, when AOS moved ahead of B.
What would change the AOS vs B verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: B closes the Momentum gap — currently 33 points behind, the largest single contributor to AOS's edge; b's Beta Spike Warning resolves — a bearish risk rule currently active against it; AOS's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about AOS and B?
AOS: 1 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted. B: 1 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on AOS is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On B it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare AOS and B with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.