BIO vs AOS Comparison

Bio-Rad Laboratories, headquartered in Hercules, California, develops, manufactures, and sells products and solutions for the clinical diagnostics and life sciences markets. In clinical diagnostics (60% of sales), Bio-Rad sells test systems and specialized quality controls for clinical laboratories. In life sciences (40% of sales), it develops and manufactures instruments and reagents used in research, biopharmaceutical production, and food testing and has a leadership position in dPCR technology. The company is geographically diverse, with major markets in the Americas (about 40% of sales), Europe (about 30%), Asia (about 30%), and other. Bio-Rad owns approximately 33% of Sartorius, a lab and bioprocessing supplier that specializes in single-use technology used in biologics manufacturing.

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.