Advertisement
Australia markets closed
  • ALL ORDS

    8,491.50
    -7.20 (-0.08%)
     
  • ASX 200

    8,214.50
    -8.50 (-0.10%)
     
  • AUD/USD

    0.6753
    +0.0010 (+0.14%)
     
  • OIL

    75.49
    -0.36 (-0.47%)
     
  • GOLD

    2,674.20
    +34.90 (+1.32%)
     
  • Bitcoin AUD

    93,036.34
    +88.96 (+0.10%)
     
  • XRP AUD

    0.80
    -0.00 (-0.19%)
     
  • AUD/EUR

    0.6170
    +0.0011 (+0.18%)
     
  • AUD/NZD

    1.1044
    -0.0010 (-0.09%)
     
  • NZX 50

    12,845.64
    +91.06 (+0.71%)
     
  • NASDAQ

    20,271.97
    +30.21 (+0.15%)
     
  • FTSE

    8,253.65
    +15.92 (+0.19%)
     
  • Dow Jones

    42,863.86
    +409.74 (+0.97%)
     
  • DAX

    19,373.83
    +162.93 (+0.85%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    21,251.98
    +614.74 (+2.98%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    39,605.80
    +224.91 (+0.57%)
     

A. O. Smith Corporation (AOS) Hits Fresh High: Is There Still Room to Run?

Have you been paying attention to shares of A.O. Smith (AOS)? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 8.4% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $77.34 in the previous session. A.O. Smith has gained 34.7% since the start of the year compared to the 8.1% move for the Zacks Industrial Products sector and the 17.7% return for the Zacks Manufacturing - Electronics industry.

What's Driving the Outperformance?

The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, as it hasn't missed our earnings consensus estimate in any of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on October 26, 2023, A.O. Smith reported EPS of $0.9 versus consensus estimate of $0.79 while it beat the consensus revenue estimate by 3.38%.

For the current fiscal year, A.O. Smith is expected to post earnings of $3.77 per share on $3.84 billion in revenues. This represents a 20.06% change in EPS on a 2.17% change in revenues. For the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $4 per share on $3.96 billion in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 6.04% and 3.37%, respectively.

Valuation Metrics

A.O. Smith may be at a 52-week high right now, but what might the future hold for the stock? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company has run ahead of itself.

On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as they provide investors with an additional way to sort through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). These styles are represented by grades running from A to F in the categories of Value, Growth, and Momentum, while there is a combined VGM Score as well. Investors should consider the style scores a valuable tool that can help you to pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.

A.O. Smith has a Value Score of B. The stock's Growth and Momentum Scores are A and F, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of B.

In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 20.4X current fiscal year EPS estimates, which is not in-line with the peer industry average of 22.6X. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 20.6X versus its peer group's average of 18.6X. Additionally, the stock has a PEG ratio of 2.27. This isn't enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.

Zacks Rank

We also need to consider the stock's Zacks Rank, as this supersedes any trend on the style score front. Fortunately, A.O. Smith currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) thanks to rising earnings estimates.

Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if A.O. Smith passes the test. Thus, it seems as though A.O. Smith shares could have a bit more room to run in the near term.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

A. O. Smith Corporation (AOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research