Latest Ratios: P/E Ratio 49.9x · EV/EBITDA 34.9x · ROE 43.5%. (1996–2025 historical series)
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $437.4B | $268.7B | $177.5B | $151.9B | $127.1B | $113.4B | $99.9B | $83.8B | $76.2B | $94.4B | $54.2B |
| Enterprise Value | $470.8B | $302.0B | $209.1B | $182.8B | $157.1B | $141.9B | $127.7B | $121.5B | $104.8B | $129.3B | $91.0B |
| P/E Ratio → | 49.93 | 30.42 | 16.45 | 14.70 | 18.95 | 17.48 | 33.34 | 13.75 | 12.38 | 125.06 | — |
| P/S Ratio | 6.47 | 3.98 | 2.74 | 2.26 | 2.14 | 2.22 | 2.39 | 1.56 | 1.39 | 2.08 | 1.41 |
| P/B Ratio | 20.68 | 12.60 | 9.11 | 7.79 | 8.00 | 6.87 | 6.49 | 5.73 | 5.41 | 6.86 | 4.10 |
| P/FCF | 42.58 | 26.15 | 20.13 | 15.51 | 24.59 | 23.99 | 23.71 | 19.75 | 20.91 | 28.02 | 19.99 |
| P/OCF | 37.26 | 22.89 | 14.75 | 11.79 | 16.36 | 15.75 | 15.78 | 12.13 | 11.61 | 16.55 | 9.61 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 4.47 | 3.23 | 2.73 | 2.64 | 2.78 | 3.06 | 2.26 | 1.92 | 2.84 | 2.36 |
| EV / EBITDA | 34.94 | 22.42 | 13.73 | 12.10 | 15.51 | 15.38 | 18.28 | 11.18 | 9.48 | 17.63 | 21.68 |
| EV / EBIT | 42.00 | 23.98 | 15.06 | 13.48 | 17.08 | 16.33 | 28.31 | 14.75 | 12.74 | 28.03 | 141.26 |
| EV / FCF | — | 29.40 | 23.70 | 18.66 | 30.40 | 30.03 | 30.31 | 28.63 | 28.78 | 38.37 | 33.56 |
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 32.3% | 32.3% | 36.0% | 34.7% | 29.5% | 29.4% | 28.9% | 30.5% | 31.1% | 29.8% | 25.7% |
| Operating Margin | 16.6% | 16.6% | 20.2% | 19.3% | 13.3% | 13.5% | 10.9% | 15.4% | 15.2% | 9.8% | 3.0% |
| Net Profit Margin | 13.1% | 13.1% | 16.7% | 15.4% | 11.3% | 12.7% | 7.2% | 11.3% | 11.2% | 1.7% | -0.2% |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 43.5% | 43.5% | 55.3% | 58.4% | 41.4% | 40.7% | 20.0% | 42.4% | 44.1% | 5.6% | -0.5% |
| ROA | 9.5% | 9.5% | 12.3% | 12.2% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 3.8% | 7.8% | 7.9% | 1.0% | -0.1% |
| ROIC | 15.9% | 15.9% | 19.3% | 20.2% | 13.0% | 11.7% | 7.8% | 14.3% | 13.6% | 6.8% | 1.7% |
| ROCE | 19.1% | 19.1% | 24.2% | 25.1% | 15.3% | 13.0% | 8.7% | 16.2% | 16.5% | 9.0% | 2.3% |
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 2.03 | 2.03 | 1.97 | 1.94 | 2.33 | 2.29 | 2.42 | 2.57 | 2.60 | 2.53 | 2.78 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 3.22 | 3.22 | 2.52 | 2.51 | 3.65 | 4.09 | 5.32 | 3.47 | 3.31 | 4.75 | 8.77 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 1.56 | 1.62 | 1.58 | 1.89 | 1.73 | 1.81 | 2.57 | 2.04 | 2.53 | 2.78 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 2.48 | 2.48 | 2.07 | 2.05 | 2.96 | 3.09 | 3.98 | 3.47 | 2.59 | 4.75 | 8.77 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 3.25 | 3.57 | 3.16 | 5.80 | 6.04 | 6.60 | 8.88 | 7.87 | 10.35 | 13.57 |
| Interest Coverage | 12.23 | 12.23 | 27.12 | 26.54 | 20.76 | 17.92 | 8.84 | 19.74 | 20.51 | 8.84 | 1.29 |
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 1.44 | 1.44 | 1.42 | 1.35 | 1.39 | 1.46 | 1.53 | 1.47 | 1.37 | 1.35 | 1.22 |
| Quick Ratio | 0.94 | 0.94 | 0.89 | 0.87 | 0.87 | 0.99 | 1.09 | 1.05 | 0.96 | 0.97 | 0.89 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.21 | 0.20 | 0.22 | 0.31 | 0.36 | 0.31 | 0.28 | — | — |
| Asset Turnover | — | 0.69 | 0.74 | 0.77 | 0.73 | 0.62 | 0.53 | 0.69 | 0.70 | 0.59 | 0.52 |
| Inventory Turnover | 2.52 | 2.52 | 2.47 | 2.64 | 2.58 | 2.56 | 2.60 | 3.32 | 3.27 | 3.18 | 3.32 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 116.48 | 106.15 | 102.44 | 109.75 | 124.42 | 146.71 | 121.47 | 116.41 | 130.01 | 137.36 |
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 0.6% | 1.0% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 1.9% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 1.9% | 3.3% |
| Payout Ratio | 31.0% | 31.0% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 36.4% | 35.9% | 74.8% | 35.0% | 31.7% | 242.8% | — |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 2.0% | 3.3% | 6.1% | 6.8% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 3.0% | 7.3% | 8.1% | 0.8% | — |
| FCF Yield | 2.3% | 3.8% | 5.0% | 6.4% | 4.1% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 5.1% | 4.8% | 3.6% | 5.0% |
| Buyback Yield | 1.2% | 1.9% | 4.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 4.8% | 5.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 1.8% | 3.0% | 5.8% | 5.0% | 5.2% | 4.4% | 3.4% | 7.4% | 7.5% | 1.9% | 3.3% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $469M | $489M | $514M | $530M | $549M | $549M | $568M | $599M | $599M | $584M |
Cyclical inventory and leverage
According to current market data, Caterpillar trades at a trailing P/E of 52.97 and an EV/EBITDA of 36.93, multiples that appear significantly elevated relative to historical averages and suggest that investors are pricing in a sustained peak-cycle earnings environment rather than a cyclical mean reversion.
The current forward P/E of 40.43 implies aggressive growth expectations that may be difficult to sustain if global industrial demand softens. Investors should monitor whether this valuation premium is justified by the transition to higher-margin services or if it represents a temporary mispricing of cyclical peak earnings.
Based on reported financial figures, Caterpillar's ROIC has struggled to maintain momentum, fluctuating between 3.6% and 6.7% over the last ten quarters, which indicates that the company is currently failing to consistently generate returns that meaningfully exceed its cost of capital during this phase of the cycle.
The inability to sustain ROIC above 7% suggests that the heavy capital intensity of the manufacturing footprint acts as a drag on efficiency. This trend warrants further investigation into whether recent investments in autonomous technology and digital services will eventually drive the structural margin expansion required to improve capital returns.
As reported in recent quarterly filings, Caterpillar's cash conversion cycle has remained elevated, peaking at 213 days in 2025Q1, which highlights a significant reliance on inventory stocking that ties up liquidity and complicates the company's ability to respond nimbly to sudden shifts in end-market demand.
The high days inventory outstanding (DIO) of 150 days in 2026Q1 suggests that the dealer network is carrying substantial stock, which may lead to future production cuts if retail demand decelerates. This inefficiency in working capital management appears to be a structural feature of the current dealer-centric distribution model.
Based on the company's reported figures, the current ratio has hovered near 1.35, providing a moderate liquidity cushion that appears adequate for normal operations but may be vulnerable to the massive working capital outflows observed during periods of inventory accumulation or supply chain volatility.
The quick ratio, which has dipped as low as 0.77, indicates a heavy dependence on inventory liquidity to meet short-term obligations. Investors should monitor whether this liquidity profile remains resilient if the company continues its aggressive share repurchase program during periods of softening cash flow generation.
The P/E ratio is frequently misapplied to Caterpillar, as it obscures the massive earnings volatility inherent in a capital-intensive industrial model and fails to account for the non-cash charges and financial services segment impacts that often distort the reported net income used in the denominator.
Analysts should prioritize EV/EBITDA or P/FCF to better capture the underlying cash-generating power of the industrial operations, as these metrics are less susceptible to the accounting nuances of the Financial Products arm. Relying on P/E alone risks misinterpreting cyclical peak earnings as a permanent baseline for valuation.
Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
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Quick answers to the most common questions about buying CAT stock.
Caterpillar Inc.'s current P/E ratio is 49.9x. The historical average is 21.1x. This places it at the 97th percentile of its historical range.
Caterpillar Inc.'s current EV/EBITDA is 34.9x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 13.0x.
Caterpillar Inc.'s return on equity (ROE) is 43.5%. This is above the typical threshold of 15-20% considered good for most companies. The historical average is 30.3%.
Based on historical data, Caterpillar Inc. is trading at a P/E of 49.9x. This is at the 97th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
Caterpillar Inc.'s current dividend yield is 0.62% with a payout ratio of 31.0%.
Caterpillar Inc. has 32.3% gross margin and 16.6% operating margin. Operating margin between 10-20% is typical for established companies.
Caterpillar Inc.'s Debt/EBITDA ratio is 3.2x, indicating high leverage. A ratio between 2-4x is manageable but warrants monitoring.