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Side-by-side financial comparison of A. O. Smith (AOS) and Waste Connections, Inc. (WCN). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Waste Connections, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($2.4B vs $912.5M, roughly 2.6× A. O. Smith). A. O. Smith runs the higher net margin — 13.7% vs 10.9%, a 2.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Waste Connections, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (5.0% vs 0.0%). Waste Connections, Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($172.6M vs $165.5M). Over the past eight quarters, Waste Connections, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (7.0% 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.

Waste Connections, Inc. is a North American integrated waste services company that provides waste collection, transfer, disposal and recycling services, primarily of solid waste. It has operations in both the United States and Canada. Its headquarters is located in The Woodlands, Texas. It is the third largest waste management company in North America.

AOS vs WCN — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
WCN
WCN
2.6× larger
WCN
$2.4B
$912.5M
AOS
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
WCN
WCN
+5.0% gap
WCN
5.0%
0.0%
AOS
Higher net margin
AOS
AOS
2.9% more per $
AOS
13.7%
10.9%
WCN
More free cash flow
WCN
WCN
$7.1M more FCF
WCN
$172.6M
$165.5M
AOS
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
WCN
WCN
Annualised
WCN
7.0%
-3.4%
AOS

Income Statement — Q4 2025 vs Q4 2025

Metric
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Revenue
$912.5M
$2.4B
Net Profit
$125.4M
$258.5M
Gross Margin
38.4%
42.5%
Operating Margin
17.9%
17.7%
Net Margin
13.7%
10.9%
Revenue YoY
0.0%
5.0%
Net Profit YoY
14.3%
231.9%
EPS (diluted)
$0.89
$1.01

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
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
$912.5M
$2.4B
Q3 25
$942.5M
$2.5B
Q2 25
$1.0B
$2.4B
Q1 25
$963.9M
$2.2B
Q4 24
$912.4M
$2.3B
Q3 24
$902.6M
$2.3B
Q2 24
$1.0B
$2.2B
Q1 24
$978.8M
$2.1B
Net Profit
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
$125.4M
$258.5M
Q3 25
$132.0M
$286.3M
Q2 25
$152.2M
$290.3M
Q1 25
$136.6M
$241.5M
Q4 24
$109.7M
$-196.0M
Q3 24
$120.1M
$308.0M
Q2 24
$156.2M
$275.5M
Q1 24
$147.6M
$230.1M
Gross Margin
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
38.4%
42.5%
Q3 25
38.7%
42.8%
Q2 25
39.3%
42.1%
Q1 25
38.9%
42.0%
Q4 24
37.1%
41.4%
Q3 24
37.4%
42.5%
Q2 24
38.7%
42.1%
Q1 24
39.3%
41.1%
Operating Margin
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
17.9%
17.7%
Q3 25
18.6%
17.9%
Q2 25
20.4%
19.1%
Q1 25
19.1%
17.5%
Q4 24
10.1%
-8.8%
Q3 24
19.5%
20.3%
Q2 24
21.9%
18.9%
Q1 24
22.0%
17.7%
Net Margin
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
13.7%
10.9%
Q3 25
14.0%
11.6%
Q2 25
15.0%
12.1%
Q1 25
14.2%
10.8%
Q4 24
12.0%
-8.7%
Q3 24
13.3%
13.2%
Q2 24
15.2%
12.3%
Q1 24
15.1%
11.1%
EPS (diluted)
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
$0.89
$1.01
Q3 25
$0.94
$1.11
Q2 25
$1.07
$1.12
Q1 25
$0.95
$0.93
Q4 24
$0.75
$-0.76
Q3 24
$0.82
$1.19
Q2 24
$1.06
$1.07
Q1 24
$1.00
$0.89

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$193.2M
$46.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$155.0M
$8.8B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.9B
$8.2B
Total Assets
$3.1B
$21.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.08×
1.07×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
$193.2M
$46.0M
Q3 25
$172.8M
$117.6M
Q2 25
$177.9M
$110.2M
Q1 25
$200.2M
$111.2M
Q4 24
$276.1M
$62.4M
Q3 24
$255.6M
$115.3M
Q2 24
$233.3M
$78.7M
Q1 24
$303.1M
$112.0M
Total Debt
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
$155.0M
$8.8B
Q3 25
$8.6B
Q2 25
$8.3B
Q1 25
$8.4B
Q4 24
$193.2M
$8.1B
Q3 24
$8.2B
Q2 24
$7.7B
Q1 24
$7.8B
Stockholders' Equity
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
$1.9B
$8.2B
Q3 25
$1.8B
$8.1B
Q2 25
$1.8B
$8.4B
Q1 25
$1.9B
$8.0B
Q4 24
$1.9B
$7.9B
Q3 24
$1.9B
$8.3B
Q2 24
$1.9B
$8.0B
Q1 24
$1.9B
$7.8B
Total Assets
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
$3.1B
$21.1B
Q3 25
$3.2B
$20.8B
Q2 25
$3.2B
$20.7B
Q1 25
$3.3B
$20.3B
Q4 24
$3.2B
$19.8B
Q3 24
$3.2B
$20.1B
Q2 24
$3.2B
$19.3B
Q1 24
$3.2B
$19.1B
Debt / Equity
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
0.08×
1.07×
Q3 25
1.07×
Q2 25
1.00×
Q1 25
1.05×
Q4 24
0.10×
1.03×
Q3 24
0.99×
Q2 24
0.96×
Q1 24
1.00×

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
WCN
WCN
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$183.1M
$556.9M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$165.5M
$172.6M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
18.1%
7.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.9%
16.2%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.46×
2.15×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$546.0M
$1.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
$183.1M
$556.9M
Q3 25
$255.4M
$677.4M
Q2 25
$139.6M
$638.2M
Q1 25
$38.7M
$541.5M
Q4 24
$221.9M
$568.9M
Q3 24
$195.9M
$558.3M
Q2 24
$57.4M
$611.4M
Q1 24
$106.6M
$490.3M
Free Cash Flow
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
$165.5M
$172.6M
Q3 25
$240.6M
$380.3M
Q2 25
$122.5M
$352.9M
Q1 25
$17.4M
$329.1M
Q4 24
$191.3M
$172.2M
Q3 24
$163.4M
$286.2M
Q2 24
$34.5M
$394.2M
Q1 24
$84.6M
$320.4M
FCF Margin
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
18.1%
7.3%
Q3 25
25.5%
15.5%
Q2 25
12.1%
14.7%
Q1 25
1.8%
14.8%
Q4 24
21.0%
7.6%
Q3 24
18.1%
12.2%
Q2 24
3.4%
17.5%
Q1 24
8.6%
15.5%
Capex Intensity
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
1.9%
16.2%
Q3 25
1.6%
12.1%
Q2 25
1.7%
11.9%
Q1 25
2.2%
9.5%
Q4 24
3.4%
17.6%
Q3 24
3.6%
11.6%
Q2 24
2.2%
9.7%
Q1 24
2.2%
8.2%
Cash Conversion
AOS
AOS
WCN
WCN
Q4 25
1.46×
2.15×
Q3 25
1.93×
2.37×
Q2 25
0.92×
2.20×
Q1 25
0.28×
2.24×
Q4 24
2.02×
Q3 24
1.63×
1.81×
Q2 24
0.37×
2.22×
Q1 24
0.72×
2.13×

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%

WCN
WCN

Southern$552.9M23%
Central$450.9M19%
Landfill$386.5M16%
Transfer$370.6M16%
Other$347.9M15%
Exploration And Production Waste Treatment Recovery And Disposal$171.1M7%
Solid Waste Recycling$51.2M2%
Intermodal And Other$42.3M2%

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