AOS vs OWL Comparison

A.O. Smith manufactures a broad lineup of water heaters, boilers, and water treatment products. The company has two reporting segments: North America (75% of sales) and rest of world (25% of sales). A.O. Smith is the leading manufacturer of water heaters in North America for the residential and commercial markets, with approximately 37% and 54% market share, respectively. Residential water heaters account for most of North American sales and are distributed equally through wholesale and retail channels. Most of A.O. Smith's international revenue is from China, a market the company entered during the mid-1990s. However, the firm announced a strategic review of its China operations.

Blue Owl Capital is one of the world's largest alternative-asset managers, $295.6 billion in total managed assets, including $183.8 billion in fee-earning AUM, at the end of September 2025. The company has three core business segments: global private equity, (with $68.8 billion in total AUM and $40.2 billion in fee-earning AUM), private credit ($152.1 billion/$97.3 billion), and real estate/real assets ($74.7 billion/$46.3 billion). The firm primarily serves institutional investors (68% of AUM) and high-net-worth individuals (32%). The firm operates through more than 20 offices in the Americas, and the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions.