Is AOS or KTOS cheaper?

On trailing earnings, AOS is cheaper: AOS trades at a 16.26 P/E and KTOS at 281.40.

Which has grown faster, AOS or KTOS?

Over the past five years, KTOS grew revenue faster — AOS at a 4.72% CAGR versus KTOS at 12.85%.

Does AOS or KTOS pay a bigger dividend?

AOS pays a dividend (2.32% yield) while KTOS does not currently pay one.

Is AOS or KTOS more profitable?

AOS runs the higher net margin — AOS at 13.84% versus KTOS at 2.08%.

Which has been the better investment, AOS or KTOS?

Over the past 10-year, KTOS delivered the higher annualized total return — AOS at 5.61% versus KTOS at 27.91%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

A. O. Smith Corporation (AOS) vs Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS)

AOS leads on 11 of 14 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of A. O. Smith Corporation and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 26, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

AOS

A. O. Smith Corporation

$8.54B

$61.13Industrials

KTOS

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.

$8.73B

$47.95Industrials

Total return — AOS vs KTOS

growth of $100 · last 27y

AOS +1365.9%KTOS -92.5%AOS compounded faster

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

AOS KTOS

AOS vs KTOS: by the numbers

•KTOS is the larger company ($8.73B vs $8.54B market cap).
•AOS trades at the lower earnings multiple (16.26 vs 281.40 P/E).
•AOS converts more revenue to profit (13.84% vs 2.08% net margin).
•KTOS grew revenue faster over the past five years (12.85% vs 4.72% CAGR).
•AOS pays a dividend (2.32% yield) while KTOS does not currently pay one.

Which is better, AOS or KTOS?

Metric tally: AOS 11 · KTOS 3

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueAOS(lower P/E)

GrowthKTOS(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

QualityAOS(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AOS	KTOS
P/E ratio	16.26●	281.40
Forward P/E	16.17	—
P/S ratio	2.23●	6.08
P/B ratio	4.53	2.52●
PEG ratio	3.01●	32.78
EV / EBITDA	11.30●	67.19
FCF yield	7.61%	—

Profitability

Metric	AOS	KTOS
Gross margin	38.77%●	21.80%
Operating margin	18.55%●	2.04%
Net margin	13.84%●	2.08%
ROE	28.10%●	0.86%
ROIC	23.94%●	0.83%

Dividends

Metric	AOS	KTOS
Dividend yield	2.32%	—
Payout ratio	36.79%	—

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AOS	KTOS
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	4.72%	12.85%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	12.52%●	1.34%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	3.27%●	-4.96%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-0.67%	11.07%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, AOS or KTOS?: It depends on your goal. value: AOS (lower P/E); growth: KTOS (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: AOS (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, AOS leads 11 to 3.
Is AOS or KTOS cheaper?: On trailing earnings, AOS is cheaper: AOS trades at a 16.26 P/E and KTOS at 281.40.
Which has grown faster, AOS or KTOS?: Over the past five years, KTOS grew revenue faster — AOS at a 4.72% CAGR versus KTOS at 12.85%.
Does AOS or KTOS pay a bigger dividend?: AOS pays a dividend (2.32% yield) while KTOS does not currently pay one.
Is AOS or KTOS more profitable?: AOS runs the higher net margin — AOS at 13.84% versus KTOS at 2.08%.
Which has been the better investment, AOS or KTOS?: Over the past 10-year, KTOS delivered the higher annualized total return — AOS at 5.61% versus KTOS at 27.91%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AOS analysis Full KTOS analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

A. O. Smith P/E ratio Kratos Defense & Security Solutions P/E ratio A. O. Smith dividend yield Kratos Defense & Security Solutions dividend yield A. O. Smith ROE Kratos Defense & Security Solutions ROE A. O. Smith operating margin Kratos Defense & Security Solutions operating margin A. O. Smith revenue growth Kratos Defense & Security Solutions revenue growth A. O. Smith free cash flow Kratos Defense & Security Solutions free cash flow

A. O. Smith & Kratos Defense & Security Solutions appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Dividend Aristocrats Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 26, 2026.