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Side-by-side financial comparison of A. O. Smith (AOS) and StepStone Group Inc. (STEP). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

A. O. Smith is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($912.5M vs $586.5M, roughly 1.6× StepStone Group Inc.). A. O. Smith runs the higher net margin — 13.7% vs -21.0%, a 34.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, StepStone Group Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (73.0% vs 0.0%). A. O. Smith produced more free cash flow last quarter ($165.5M vs $26.7M). Over the past eight quarters, StepStone Group Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (28.2% CAGR vs -3.4%).

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.

Rosetta Stone Inc. is an American education technology software company that develops language, literacy and brain-fitness software. Best known for its language-learning products, in 2013, the company expanded beyond language into education-technology with its acquisitions of Livemocha, Lexia Learning, Fit Brains, and Tell Me More. In 2021, it became a subsidiary of IXL Learning.

AOS vs STEP — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
AOS
AOS
1.6× larger
AOS
$912.5M
$586.5M
STEP
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
STEP
STEP
+73.0% gap
STEP
73.0%
0.0%
AOS
Higher net margin
AOS
AOS
34.8% more per $
AOS
13.7%
-21.0%
STEP
More free cash flow
AOS
AOS
$138.8M more FCF
AOS
$165.5M
$26.7M
STEP
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STEP
STEP
Annualised
STEP
28.2%
-3.4%
AOS

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Revenue
$912.5M
$586.5M
Net Profit
$125.4M
$-123.5M
Gross Margin
38.4%
Operating Margin
17.9%
-33.2%
Net Margin
13.7%
-21.0%
Revenue YoY
0.0%
73.0%
Net Profit YoY
14.3%
35.7%
EPS (diluted)
$0.89
$-1.55

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
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$912.5M
$586.5M
Q3 25
$942.5M
$454.2M
Q2 25
$1.0B
$364.3M
Q1 25
$963.9M
$377.7M
Q4 24
$912.4M
$339.0M
Q3 24
$902.6M
$271.7M
Q2 24
$1.0B
$186.4M
Q1 24
$978.8M
$356.8M
Net Profit
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$125.4M
$-123.5M
Q3 25
$132.0M
$-366.1M
Q2 25
$152.2M
$-38.4M
Q1 25
$136.6M
$-18.5M
Q4 24
$109.7M
$-192.0M
Q3 24
$120.1M
$17.6M
Q2 24
$156.2M
$13.3M
Q1 24
$147.6M
$30.8M
Gross Margin
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
38.4%
Q3 25
38.7%
Q2 25
39.3%
Q1 25
38.9%
Q4 24
37.1%
Q3 24
37.4%
Q2 24
38.7%
Q1 24
39.3%
Operating Margin
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
17.9%
-33.2%
Q3 25
18.6%
-148.8%
Q2 25
20.4%
-5.6%
Q1 25
19.1%
2.6%
Q4 24
10.1%
-101.7%
Q3 24
19.5%
21.3%
Q2 24
21.9%
29.4%
Q1 24
22.0%
26.5%
Net Margin
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
13.7%
-21.0%
Q3 25
14.0%
-80.6%
Q2 25
15.0%
-10.5%
Q1 25
14.2%
-4.9%
Q4 24
12.0%
-56.6%
Q3 24
13.3%
6.5%
Q2 24
15.2%
7.2%
Q1 24
15.1%
8.6%
EPS (diluted)
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$0.89
$-1.55
Q3 25
$0.94
$-4.66
Q2 25
$1.07
$-0.49
Q1 25
$0.95
$-0.37
Q4 24
$0.75
$-2.61
Q3 24
$0.82
$0.26
Q2 24
$1.06
$0.20
Q1 24
$1.00
$0.47

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$193.2M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$155.0M
$270.2M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.9B
$-378.8M
Total Assets
$3.1B
$5.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.08×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$193.2M
Q3 25
$172.8M
Q2 25
$177.9M
Q1 25
$200.2M
Q4 24
$276.1M
Q3 24
$255.6M
Q2 24
$233.3M
Q1 24
$303.1M
Total Debt
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$155.0M
$270.2M
Q3 25
$269.9M
Q2 25
$269.6M
Q1 25
$269.3M
Q4 24
$193.2M
$168.9M
Q3 24
$172.3M
Q2 24
$172.1M
Q1 24
$148.8M
Stockholders' Equity
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$1.9B
$-378.8M
Q3 25
$1.8B
$-233.5M
Q2 25
$1.8B
$153.9M
Q1 25
$1.9B
$179.4M
Q4 24
$1.9B
$209.8M
Q3 24
$1.9B
$397.5M
Q2 24
$1.9B
$366.9M
Q1 24
$1.9B
$324.5M
Total Assets
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$3.1B
$5.2B
Q3 25
$3.2B
$5.3B
Q2 25
$3.2B
$4.8B
Q1 25
$3.3B
$4.6B
Q4 24
$3.2B
$4.3B
Q3 24
$3.2B
$4.0B
Q2 24
$3.2B
$3.8B
Q1 24
$3.2B
$3.8B
Debt / Equity
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
0.08×
Q3 25
Q2 25
1.75×
Q1 25
1.50×
Q4 24
0.10×
0.81×
Q3 24
0.43×
Q2 24
0.47×
Q1 24
0.46×

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
STEP
STEP
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$183.1M
$27.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$165.5M
$26.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
18.1%
4.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.9%
0.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.46×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$546.0M
$18.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$183.1M
$27.2M
Q3 25
$255.4M
$16.2M
Q2 25
$139.6M
$46.3M
Q1 25
$38.7M
$-66.5M
Q4 24
$221.9M
$27.6M
Q3 24
$195.9M
$53.7M
Q2 24
$57.4M
$50.2M
Q1 24
$106.6M
$7.6M
Free Cash Flow
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$165.5M
$26.7M
Q3 25
$240.6M
$15.9M
Q2 25
$122.5M
$45.2M
Q1 25
$17.4M
$-69.2M
Q4 24
$191.3M
$27.0M
Q3 24
$163.4M
$52.4M
Q2 24
$34.5M
$49.6M
Q1 24
$84.6M
$6.7M
FCF Margin
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
18.1%
4.6%
Q3 25
25.5%
3.5%
Q2 25
12.1%
12.4%
Q1 25
1.8%
-18.3%
Q4 24
21.0%
8.0%
Q3 24
18.1%
19.3%
Q2 24
3.4%
26.6%
Q1 24
8.6%
1.9%
Capex Intensity
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
1.9%
0.1%
Q3 25
1.6%
0.1%
Q2 25
1.7%
0.3%
Q1 25
2.2%
0.7%
Q4 24
3.4%
0.2%
Q3 24
3.6%
0.5%
Q2 24
2.2%
0.3%
Q1 24
2.2%
0.3%
Cash Conversion
AOS
AOS
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
1.46×
Q3 25
1.93×
Q2 25
0.92×
Q1 25
0.28×
Q4 24
2.02×
Q3 24
1.63×
3.05×
Q2 24
0.37×
3.76×
Q1 24
0.72×
0.25×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

AOS
AOS

North America Segment$713.7M78%
Rest Of World$158.3M17%
Other$40.5M4%

STEP
STEP

Other$210.1M36%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Focused Commingled Funds$143.3M24%
Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$85.1M15%
Carried Interest Allocation Separately Managed Accounts$63.6M11%
Carried Interest Allocation Realized$46.7M8%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Advisory And Other Services$18.3M3%
Legacy Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$10.3M2%
Income Based Incentive Fees$6.0M1%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Fund Reimbursement Revenues$3.1M1%

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