SMITH A O CORP

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of The

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant

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Filed by a party other than the Registrant

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Check the appropriate box:

Preliminary Proxy Statement

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

DEAR FELLOW A. O. SMITH STOCKHOLDER: We are pleased to invite you to our Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be held on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. This year’s Annual Meeting will be held at the Carnegie Hotel, 1216 W. State of Franklin Road, Johnson City, Tennessee. The attached Notice of our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement will serve as your guide to the business we will address at the meeting. You can also review our 2023 Annual Report, which incorporates our Form 10-K, to learn more about our financial performance. 2024 will mark a milestone for us. We will celebrate 150 years in business; 150 years of growth and innovation, built upon an unwavering commitment to integrity toward our employees, customers and stockholders. We are proud to be an innovative water technology company and our performance this year reflects our commitment to profitable growth through innovation in a sustainable manner. To our employees worldwide, thank you for your hard work during another challenging, but successful year. Thank you for being a stockholder and for your ongoing support of our company. We hope you will attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Whether or not you choose to attend, your vote is important. We encourage you to sign and return your proxy or vote by telephone or through the Internet as soon as possible so that your shares will be represented and voted at the meeting. Even if you submit a proxy, you can revoke it at any time before the meeting if you choose to attend and vote during the meeting. Sincerely, Kevin J. Wheeler Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

NOTICE OF 2024 ANNUAL MEETING

OF STOCKHOLDERS

The 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of A. O. Smith Corporation will be held at the Carnegie Hotel, 1216 W. State of Franklin Road, Johnson City, Tennessee, on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) for the following purposes:

Stockholders of record as of February 20, 2024, are entitled to attend and vote at the Annual Meeting. The list of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting will be available by appointment at our offices at 11270 West Park Place, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as of March 29, 2024, for examination by stockholders.

All stockholders mustpre-register in order to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of A. O. Smith Corporation. Topre-register, please contact us by email at jstern@aosmith.com or by telephone at 414-359-4000 and provide your name, address, telephone number and indicate that you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. We will respond to allpre-registration requests and will maintain a list of verified stockholders at the Annual Meeting. In addition to ownership confirmation, youmust also present a government-issued photo identification showing your name, address and signature for admission. Annual Meetingpre-registration requests must be received by the end of business on Friday, April 5, 2024.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

James F. Stern

Executive Vice President,

General Counsel and Secretary

11270 West Park Place

Milwaukee, WI 53224

Meeting Information

Time: 8:00 a.m. (EDT)

Place: Carnegie Hotel 1216 W. State of Franklin Road Johnson City, Tennessee

Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, we encourage you to vote your shares. You may vote your shares over the Internet, as we describe in the accompanying materials and the Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials. As an alternative, if you received a paper copy of the Proxy Card by mail, you may sign, date and mail the Proxy Card in the envelope provided or use the toll-free telephone number on the Proxy Card. No postage is necessary if mailed in the United States. Voting over the Internet, voting via the toll-free telephone number or mailing a Proxy Card will not limit your right to attend and vote at the Annual Meeting.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING TO BE HELD ON APRIL 9, 2024:

The Notice of 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, this Proxy Statement and our 2023 Annual Report are also available atwww.proxydocs.com/aos.

PROXY STATEMENT FOR 2024 ANNUAL MEETING

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROXY STATEMENT

2023 ANNUAL MEETING