AOS vs CARR Stock Comparison
Compare AOS and CARR across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between AOS and CARR?
AOS leads the current stock comparison as A. O. Smith Corporation, with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
A. O. Smith Corporation vs Carrier Global Corporation
AOS leads
AOS leads by 12 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Value, but the lead has narrowed from 21 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors CARR on target upside.
Fragile: 4 of 6 evidence groups support AOS, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.
A. O. Smith Corporation
Carrier Global Corporation
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors AOS over CARR, 56 versus 44 as of Sep 11, 2026. AOS's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and value, while CARR holds the stronger momentum profile. AOS also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors CARR. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor AOS today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the leader's advantage has been narrowing. AOS lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 21 to 12 points over 30 sessions.
Compare A. O. Smith Corporation and Carrier Global Corporation across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare AOS and CARR 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.
- Quality69 vs 36AOS +33
- Value66 vs 59AOS +7
- Risk Resilience63 vs 56AOS +7
- Momentum23 vs 27CARR +4
4 of 6 evidence groups favor AOS. AOS’s edge is concentrated in quality and value; CARR keeps a meaningful momentum edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.
Largest factor move: Momentum -1
New signals
- BB Lower Band Breach — bullish, volatility, short horizon
Largest factor move: Momentum -1
No new signals fired.
AOS's lead was unchanged in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — AOS and CARR both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
AOS (A. O. Smith Corporation): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and value.
CARR (Carrier Global Corporation): the counter-case, on momentum, analyst expectations.
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
CARRCARR on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
AOSAOS on the peer-relative Value factor, by 7 points.
Momentum
CARRCARR on the Momentum factor, by 4 points.
Lower downside
AOSAOS on Risk Resilience, by 7 points.
Analyst upside
CARRCARR 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 CARR. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | AOS | CARR | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +28.7% | +30.2% | CARR has more room |
| Target dispersion | +17.6% | +24.1% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 4 | 4 | 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.
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 | 56 vs 44 |
| Fundamentals | AOSon balance | revenue growth 6.2% vs 18.9%; EPS growth 5.9% vs 106.9%; TTM ROE 27% vs 8.9%; gross margin 38.6% vs 24.3%; operating margin 17.6% vs 7.1% — AOS takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | AOS | Value 66 vs 59 |
| Technicals | Even | Price vs 50-day -6% vs -9.9%; vs 200-day -12.9% vs -7.9% |
| Risk Resilience | AOS | Risk Resilience 63 vs 56 |
| Analyst expectations | CARR | Target upside 28.7% vs 30.2% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of AOS and CARR and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is wide at 12 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Signal direction runs against the verdict: the leader is net-bearish while the laggard is net-bullish. (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
119 daily snapshots · May 4 – Sep 10AOS lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 21 to 12 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- AOS +12
- 56 vs 44
- 7 sessions ago
- AOS +16
- 60 vs 44
- 30 sessions ago
- AOS +21
- 66 vs 45
- 90 sessions ago
- AOS +16
- 64 vs 48
The lead has not changed hands in this window.
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.
2 bullish / 4 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (6.63%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- BB Lower Band Breach — bullish, volatility, short horizon
2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (3.76%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, 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.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +1.2%, AIQ 0 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +1.45%, AIQ 0 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.
- 1CARR closes the Quality gap — currently 33 points behind, the largest single contributor to AOS's edge.
- 2CARR's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend.
- 3AOS's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 4 bearish rules at once.
- 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 9 points over 30 sessions, and a further 12-point move would eliminate AOS's advantage entirely.
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 | CARR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 6.2% | 18.9% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 5.9% | 106.9% |
| Gross margin | 38.6% | 24.3% |
| Operating margin | 17.6% | 7.1% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 27% | 8.9% |
| Debt to equity | 0.37 | 0.94 |
Performance
CARR leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | AOS | CARR |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -4.3% | -1.6% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -9.4% | -10.2% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -0.9% | -16.7% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -16.7% | -3.5% |
| Year to date | -15.2% | 7.2% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -22.3% | -13.7% |
Technicals
Split| Metric | AOS | CARR |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 25.7 | 31.5 |
| ADX (14) | 17.5 | 31.7 |
| Price vs 50-day | -6% | -9.9% |
| Price vs 200-day | -12.9% | -7.9% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 28.6% | 20.1% |
Risk
AOS is the more resilient| Metric | AOS | CARR |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.76 | 1.27 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.89 | -0.26 |
| Sortino ratio | -1.49 | -0.36 |
| Max drawdown | -30.7% | -25.5% |
| Current drawdown | -29.5% | -25.5% |
| Annualized volatility | 27.1% | 35.4% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -2.8% | -3.2% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, AOS or CARR?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, AOS is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 56 against CARR's 44. The edge comes from quality and value. CARR is not without a case — it holds the better momentum 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 CARR the better buy right now?
AOS carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the leader's advantage has been narrowing. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor AOS over CARR?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. AOS leads Quality by 33 points; AOS leads Value by 7 points; AOS leads Risk Resilience by 7 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, AOS or CARR?
Analyst price targets imply +28.7% upside for AOS and +30.2% for CARR, so the Street currently favors CARR. 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 CARR?
AOS is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. AOS on the peer-relative Value factor, by 7 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 CARR?
CARR 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 CARR?
CARR on the Momentum factor, by 4 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 CARR?
AOS is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. AOS on Risk Resilience, by 7 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 CARR?
AOS leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 38.6% vs 24.3%; operating margin 17.6% vs 7.1%; ttm roe 27% vs 8.9%.
Is AOS's lead over CARR getting stronger or weaker?
AOS lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 21 to 12 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has not changed hands in that window.
What would change the AOS vs CARR verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: CARR closes the Quality gap — currently 33 points behind, the largest single contributor to AOS's edge; CARR's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend; AOS's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 4 bearish rules at once; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 9 points over 30 sessions, and a further 12-point move would eliminate AOS's advantage entirely.
What do the current signals say about AOS and CARR?
AOS: 2 bullish / 4 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. CARR: 2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral. 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 CARR it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare AOS and CARR 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.