** Brokerage D. A. Davidson downgrades water heater maker A.O. Smith's shares to "neutral" from "buy"
** Company's growth/profitability targets for China are increasingly unattainable - brokerage
** In North America, residential and commercial water heater demand appears lackluster - brokerage
** Company missed Q3 revenue and profit estimates on Tuesday, hurt by lower sales of its water heaters in North America and China
** 4 of 15 brokerages rate stock "buy" or higher, 10 "hold" and 1 "sell"; median PT $85 - LSEG
** As of last close, stock down 5% YTD
(Reporting by Anshuman Tripathy in Bengaluru)
((Anshuman.Tripathy@thomsonreuters.com))
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