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Side-by-side financial comparison of A. O. Smith (AOS) and Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (BNED). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

A. O. Smith is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($945.6M vs $598.2M, roughly 1.6× Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.). A. O. Smith runs the higher net margin — 12.5% vs 4.2%, a 8.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (6.9% vs -2.0%). A. O. Smith produced more free cash flow last quarter ($118.9M vs $61.9M). Over the past eight quarters, Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (20.0% CAGR vs -3.9%).

A. O. Smith Corporation is an American manufacturer of both residential and commercial water heaters and boilers, and the largest manufacturer and marketer of water heaters in North America. It also supplies water treatment and purification products in the Asian market. The company has 27 locations worldwide, including five manufacturing facilities in North America, as well as plants in Bengaluru in India, Nanjing in China and Veldhoven in The Netherlands.

Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. The company operates approximately 700+ retail stores across the United States.

AOS vs BNED — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
AOS
AOS
1.6× larger
AOS
$945.6M
$598.2M
BNED
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
BNED
BNED
+8.9% gap
BNED
6.9%
-2.0%
AOS
Higher net margin
AOS
AOS
8.3% more per $
AOS
12.5%
4.2%
BNED
More free cash flow
AOS
AOS
$57.0M more FCF
AOS
$118.9M
$61.9M
BNED
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
BNED
BNED
Annualised
BNED
20.0%
-3.9%
AOS

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q2 FY2026

Metric
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Revenue
$945.6M
$598.2M
Net Profit
$118.0M
$25.0M
Gross Margin
38.7%
21.7%
Operating Margin
6.8%
Net Margin
12.5%
4.2%
Revenue YoY
-2.0%
6.9%
Net Profit YoY
-14.0%
-49.7%
EPS (diluted)
$0.85
$0.72

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
$945.6M
Q4 25
$912.5M
$598.2M
Q3 25
$942.5M
$274.2M
Q2 25
$1.0B
$233.0M
Q1 25
$963.9M
$419.7M
Q4 24
$912.4M
$559.7M
Q3 24
$902.6M
$250.9M
Q2 24
$1.0B
$192.7M
Net Profit
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
$118.0M
Q4 25
$125.4M
$25.0M
Q3 25
$132.0M
$-18.3M
Q2 25
$152.2M
$-23.0M
Q1 25
$136.6M
$17.9M
Q4 24
$109.7M
$43.2M
Q3 24
$120.1M
$-103.9M
Q2 24
$156.2M
$-41.9M
Gross Margin
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
38.7%
Q4 25
38.4%
21.7%
Q3 25
38.7%
20.2%
Q2 25
39.3%
30.3%
Q1 25
38.9%
22.3%
Q4 24
37.1%
23.0%
Q3 24
37.4%
17.9%
Q2 24
38.7%
28.7%
Operating Margin
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
Q4 25
17.9%
6.8%
Q3 25
18.6%
-8.4%
Q2 25
20.4%
-4.9%
Q1 25
19.1%
4.5%
Q4 24
10.1%
8.4%
Q3 24
19.5%
-15.4%
Q2 24
21.9%
-16.3%
Net Margin
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
12.5%
Q4 25
13.7%
4.2%
Q3 25
14.0%
-6.7%
Q2 25
15.0%
-9.9%
Q1 25
14.2%
4.3%
Q4 24
12.0%
7.7%
Q3 24
13.3%
-41.4%
Q2 24
15.2%
-21.7%
EPS (diluted)
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
$0.85
Q4 25
$0.89
$0.72
Q3 25
$0.94
$-0.54
Q2 25
$1.07
$2.97
Q1 25
$0.95
$0.59
Q4 24
$0.75
$1.63
Q3 24
$0.82
$-7.69
Q2 24
$1.06
$-15.68

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$185.2M
$11.7M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$574.2M
$122.5M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.9B
$283.2M
Total Assets
$3.7B
$1.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.31×
0.43×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
$185.2M
Q4 25
$193.2M
$11.7M
Q3 25
$172.8M
$7.3M
Q2 25
$177.9M
$9.1M
Q1 25
$200.2M
$9.2M
Q4 24
$276.1M
$11.6M
Q3 24
$255.6M
$8.2M
Q2 24
$233.3M
$10.5M
Total Debt
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
$574.2M
Q4 25
$155.0M
$122.5M
Q3 25
$170.0M
Q2 25
$103.1M
Q1 25
$141.2M
Q4 24
$193.2M
$177.6M
Q3 24
$221.9M
Q2 24
$196.3M
Stockholders' Equity
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
$1.9B
Q4 25
$1.9B
$283.2M
Q3 25
$1.8B
$256.5M
Q2 25
$1.8B
$272.2M
Q1 25
$1.9B
$292.9M
Q4 24
$1.9B
$211.4M
Q3 24
$1.9B
$149.8M
Q2 24
$1.9B
$80.4M
Total Assets
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
$3.7B
Q4 25
$3.1B
$1.1B
Q3 25
$3.2B
$950.8M
Q2 25
$3.2B
$790.3M
Q1 25
$3.3B
$1.1B
Q4 24
$3.2B
$1.0B
Q3 24
$3.2B
$973.2M
Q2 24
$3.2B
$909.9M
Debt / Equity
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
0.31×
Q4 25
0.08×
0.43×
Q3 25
0.66×
Q2 25
0.38×
Q1 25
0.48×
Q4 24
0.10×
0.84×
Q3 24
1.48×
Q2 24
2.44×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$66.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$118.9M
$61.9M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
12.6%
10.4%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.1%
0.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.65×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$647.5M
$-4.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
Q4 25
$183.1M
$66.2M
Q3 25
$255.4M
$-67.6M
Q2 25
$139.6M
$52.6M
Q1 25
$38.7M
$-41.9M
Q4 24
$221.9M
$47.4M
Q3 24
$195.9M
$-143.5M
Q2 24
$57.4M
$81.7M
Free Cash Flow
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
$118.9M
Q4 25
$165.5M
$61.9M
Q3 25
$240.6M
$-71.3M
Q2 25
$122.5M
$49.5M
Q1 25
$17.4M
$-44.7M
Q4 24
$191.3M
$44.4M
Q3 24
$163.4M
$-147.5M
Q2 24
$34.5M
$79.1M
FCF Margin
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
12.6%
Q4 25
18.1%
10.4%
Q3 25
25.5%
-26.0%
Q2 25
12.1%
21.3%
Q1 25
1.8%
-10.7%
Q4 24
21.0%
7.9%
Q3 24
18.1%
-58.8%
Q2 24
3.4%
41.1%
Capex Intensity
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
1.1%
Q4 25
1.9%
0.7%
Q3 25
1.6%
1.4%
Q2 25
1.7%
1.3%
Q1 25
2.2%
0.7%
Q4 24
3.4%
0.5%
Q3 24
3.6%
1.6%
Q2 24
2.2%
1.4%
Cash Conversion
AOS
AOS
BNED
BNED
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.46×
2.65×
Q3 25
1.93×
Q2 25
0.92×
Q1 25
0.28×
-2.34×
Q4 24
2.02×
1.10×
Q3 24
1.63×
Q2 24
0.37×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

AOS
AOS

Segment breakdown not available.

BNED
BNED

Course Materials Product$459.3M77%
General Merchandise Product$112.9M19%
Serviceand Other$26.1M4%

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