WLK vs AOS Comparison

Westlake is a forward-integrated commodity chemicals firm based in Houston. It began as a single low-density polyethylene plant and expanded its capabilities to include ethylene, vinyl chloride monomers, and polyvinyl chloride over the next two decades. The acquisition of Axiall in 2016 made it a North American leader in chlor-alkali and PVC. Today, Westlake has two defined segments: performance and essential materials, and housing and infrastructure products. The HIP segment began operating in 2022 following a series of acquisitions in the building products space. The firm aims to maximize the value of its chemical production by integrating with the HIP segment, realizing the higher margins of finished commercial goods.

A.O. Smith manufactures a broad lineup of water heaters, boilers, and water treatment products. The company has two reporting segments: North America (80% of sales) and rest of world (20% of sales). A.O. Smith is the leading manufacturer of water heaters in North America for the residential and commercial markets, with approximately 36% and 52% 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 in the mid-1990s.