BA vs. CAT: Boeing vs. Caterpillar Stock Comparison

August 25, 2026

How do Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but BA is classified in Aerospace & Defense while CAT is classified in Machinery.

Company profile comparison for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT)
Profile Item	BA	CAT
Name	Boeing Company	Caterpillar Inc.
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry Group	Capital Goods	Capital Goods
GICS Industry	Aerospace & Defense	Machinery
GICS Sub-Industry	Aerospace & Defense	Construction Machinery & Heavy Transportation Equipment
Market Capitalization	169.30 billion USD	380.56 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 1962	January 2, 1962
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CAT

GSPC

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT)
Metric	BA	CAT
Total Return (1Y)	-4.57%	99.90%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	-1.95%	46.84%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	0.14%	34.51%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CAT

GSPC

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT)
Metric	BA	CAT
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	33.78%	39.84%
Beta (5Y)	1.22	1.61
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-50.29%	-34.05%
Avg. Volume (3M)	5.94M	3.24M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

BA and CAT are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT)
Metric	BA	CAT
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.25	2.41
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.39	3.89

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Boeing (BA) at 173.54% and Caterpillar (CAT) at 56.97% turn shareholders’ equity into profit at rates above their industry benchmark ranges for ROE. That is a strong capital-efficiency signal, though leverage and the equity base still matter.

BA

Capital Goods industry group

173.54%

BA: 173.54%
Max: 40.35%
Q3: 18.66%
Median: 11.29%
Q1: 2.68%
Min: -21.28%

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

56.97%

CAT: 56.97%
Max: 40.35%
Q3: 18.66%
Median: 11.29%
Q1: 2.68%
Min: -21.28%

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Caterpillar (CAT) at 14.51% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Boeing (BA) at 2.59%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

BA

Capital Goods industry group

2.59%

Max: 24.39%
Q3: 11.71%
Median: 5.75%
BA: 2.59%
Q1: 0.43%
Min: -14.15%

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

14.51%

Max: 24.39%
CAT: 14.51%
Q3: 11.71%
Median: 5.75%
Q1: 0.43%
Min: -14.15%

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Caterpillar (CAT) at 22.18% carries a top-quartile operating margin, while Boeing (BA) at 0.00% operates in the bottom quartile.

BA

Capital Goods industry group

0.00%

Max: 35.46%
Q3: 17.34%
Median: 10.44%
Q1: 4.41%
BA: 0.00%
Min: -12.63%

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

22.18%

Max: 35.46%
CAT: 22.18%
Q3: 17.34%
Median: 10.44%
Q1: 4.41%
Min: -12.63%

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT)
Metric	BA	CAT
ROE (TTM)	173.54%	56.97%
ROA (TTM)	-1.98%	9.03%
Net Margin (TTM)	2.59%	14.51%
Operating Margin (TTM)	0.00%	22.18%
Gross Margin (TTM)	4.71%	29.71%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Boeing (BA) at 34.50% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Caterpillar (CAT) at 4.29% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for BA.

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Caterpillar (CAT) reports EPS growth of -14.69%, ranked against its industry; Boeing (BA) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT)
Metric	BA	CAT
Revenue Growth (YoY)	34.50%	4.29%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	10.33%	4.38%
EPS Growth (YoY)	--	-14.69%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	14.17%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Boeing (BA) at 1.14 and Caterpillar (CAT) at 1.37 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

BA

Capital Goods industry group

1.14

Max: 5.34
Q3: 3.01
Median: 2.10
Q1: 1.45
BA: 1.14
Min: 0.76

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

1.37

Max: 5.34
Q3: 3.01
Median: 2.10
Q1: 1.45
CAT: 1.37
Min: 0.76

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both balance sheets lean debt-heavy versus peers, but BA is more stretched: Caterpillar (CAT) at 2.33 sits in the higher-leverage quartile and Boeing (BA) at 7.91 is above its industry benchmark range.

BA

Capital Goods industry group

7.91

BA: 7.91
Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.09
Median: 0.57
Q1: 0.26
Min: 0.00

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

2.33

CAT: 2.33
Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.09
Median: 0.57
Q1: 0.26
Min: 0.00

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT)
Metric	BA	CAT
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.14	1.37
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	7.91	2.33
Net Debt / EBITDA	--	2.41

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Boeing (BA) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Caterpillar (CAT) reports a yield of 0.76%, ranking against industry peers normally.

BA

Capital Goods industry group

0.00%

Max: 2.57%
Q3: 1.06%
Median: 0.15%
BA: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

0.76%

Max: 2.57%
Q3: 1.06%
CAT: 0.76%
Median: 0.15%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Boeing (BA) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Caterpillar (CAT) reports a payout of 26.01%, ranking against industry peers normally.

BA

Capital Goods industry group

0.00%

Max: 72.00%
Q3: 28.82%
Median: 5.01%
BA: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

26.01%

Max: 72.00%
Q3: 28.82%
CAT: 26.01%
Median: 5.01%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT)
Metric	BA	CAT
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.76%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	26.01%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Caterpillar (CAT) at 35.72 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Boeing (BA) at 77.05 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for BA’s trailing earnings.

BA

Capital Goods industry group

77.05

BA: 77.05
Max: 72.98
Q3: 42.83
Median: 31.36
Q1: 22.26
Min: 1.30

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

35.72

Max: 72.98
Q3: 42.83
CAT: 35.72
Median: 31.36
Q1: 22.26
Min: 1.30

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Boeing (BA) at 1.80 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Caterpillar (CAT) at 5.09 sits in the pricier quartile — CAT costs more per dollar of sales.

BA

Capital Goods industry group

1.80

Max: 9.67
Q3: 4.59
Median: 2.57
BA: 1.80
Q1: 1.21
Min: 0.05

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

5.09

Max: 9.67
CAT: 5.09
Q3: 4.59
Median: 2.57
Q1: 1.21
Min: 0.05

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Measured against book value, both Boeing (BA) at 27.76 and Caterpillar (CAT) at 19.62 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.

BA

Capital Goods industry group

27.76

BA: 27.76
Max: 12.43
Q3: 6.18
Median: 3.59
Q1: 1.99
Min: -3.57

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

19.62

CAT: 19.62
Max: 12.43
Q3: 6.18
Median: 3.59
Q1: 1.99
Min: -3.57

Boeing (BA) vs. Caterpillar (CAT): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Boeing (BA) and Caterpillar (CAT)
Metric	BA	CAT
P/E Ratio (TTM)	77.05	35.72
P/S Ratio (TTM)	1.80	5.09
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	27.76	19.62
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	3.32%	1.33%