CAT vs. DE: Caterpillar vs. Deere Stock Comparison

July 7, 2026

How do Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE) 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

Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE) both belong to the Machinery industry, though CAT is classified under Construction Machinery & Heavy Transportation Equipment while DE falls under Agricultural & Farm Machinery.

Company profile comparison for Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE)
Profile Item	CAT	DE
Name	Caterpillar Inc.	Deere & Company
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry Group	Capital Goods	Capital Goods
GICS Industry	Machinery	Machinery
GICS Sub-Industry	Construction Machinery & Heavy Transportation Equipment	Agricultural & Farm Machinery
Market Capitalization	446.74 billion USD	171.48 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 1962	June 1, 1972
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CAT

GSPC

Caterpillar (CAT) vs. Deere (DE), 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 Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE)
Metric	CAT	DE
Total Return (1Y)	146.42%	23.46%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	61.57%	18.17%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	37.79%	14.19%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CAT

GSPC

Caterpillar (CAT) vs. Deere (DE), 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 Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE)
Metric	CAT	DE
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	37.68%	30.60%
Beta (5Y)	1.59	0.89
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-34.05%	-33.81%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.95M	1.29M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

CAT and DE 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 Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE)
Metric	CAT	DE
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	3.78	0.64
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	6.41	1.02

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Caterpillar (CAT) at 51.33% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Deere (DE) at 18.35%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

51.33%

CAT: 51.33%
Max: 45.43%
Q3: 19.97%
Median: 11.29%
Q1: 2.90%
Min: -22.65%

DE

Capital Goods industry group

18.35%

Max: 45.43%
Q3: 19.97%
DE: 18.35%
Median: 11.29%
Q1: 2.90%
Min: -22.65%

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

Net Margin (TTM)

Caterpillar (CAT) at 13.33% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Deere (DE) at 10.10%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

13.33%

Max: 24.69%
CAT: 13.33%
Q3: 11.54%
Median: 5.87%
Q1: 0.48%
Min: -13.94%

DE

Capital Goods industry group

10.10%

Max: 24.69%
Q3: 11.54%
DE: 10.10%
Median: 5.87%
Q1: 0.48%
Min: -13.94%

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

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 18.18% and Deere (DE) at 17.48% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

18.18%

Max: 29.84%
CAT: 18.18%
Q3: 15.95%
Median: 8.30%
Q1: 1.86%
Min: -17.50%

DE

Capital Goods industry group

17.48%

Max: 29.84%
DE: 17.48%
Q3: 15.95%
Median: 8.30%
Q1: 1.86%
Min: -17.50%

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

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE)
Metric	CAT	DE
ROE (TTM)	51.33%	18.35%
ROA (TTM)	8.52%	3.83%
Net Margin (TTM)	13.33%	10.10%
Operating Margin (TTM)	18.18%	17.48%
Gross Margin (TTM)	28.60%	25.97%

Growth

Revenue Growth

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

Revenue Growth Metrics

Revenue growth metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE)
Metric	CAT	DE
Revenue Growth (YoY)	4.29%	-11.59%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	4.38%	-4.50%

EPS Growth

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

EPS Growth Metrics

EPS growth metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE)
Metric	CAT	DE
EPS Growth (YoY)	-14.69%	-27.79%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	14.17%	-7.37%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Deere (DE) at 2.21 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Caterpillar (CAT) at 1.35 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for CAT.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

1.35

Max: 5.24
Q3: 2.98
Median: 2.12
Q1: 1.46
CAT: 1.35
Min: 0.71

DE

Capital Goods industry group

2.21

Max: 5.24
Q3: 2.98
DE: 2.21
Median: 2.12
Q1: 1.46
Min: 0.71

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

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Debt sits unusually high against shareholders’ equity for both Caterpillar (CAT) at 2.31 and Deere (DE) at 3.76 — each debt-to-equity ratio is above its industry benchmark range.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

2.31

CAT: 2.31
Max: 2.29
Q3: 1.08
Median: 0.62
Q1: 0.28
Min: 0.00

DE

Capital Goods industry group

3.76

DE: 3.76
Max: 2.29
Q3: 1.08
Median: 0.62
Q1: 0.28
Min: 0.00

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

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE)
Metric	CAT	DE
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.35	2.21
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	2.31	3.76
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.73	4.60

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 0.63% and Deere (DE) at 1.04% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

0.63%

Max: 2.61%
Q3: 1.05%
CAT: 0.63%
Median: 0.16%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

DE

Capital Goods industry group

1.04%

Max: 2.61%
Q3: 1.05%
DE: 1.04%
Median: 0.16%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

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

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 29.58% and Deere (DE) at 36.71% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

29.58%

Max: 72.02%
CAT: 29.58%
Q3: 29.57%
Median: 6.30%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

DE

Capital Goods industry group

36.71%

Max: 72.02%
DE: 36.71%
Q3: 29.57%
Median: 6.30%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

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

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE)
Metric	CAT	DE
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.63%	1.04%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	29.58%	36.71%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 48.40 and Deere (DE) at 36.01 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

48.40

Max: 87.91
Q3: 50.21
CAT: 48.40
Median: 33.69
Q1: 23.18
Min: 6.09

DE

Capital Goods industry group

36.01

Max: 87.91
Q3: 50.21
DE: 36.01
Median: 33.69
Q1: 23.18
Min: 6.09

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

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Deere (DE) at 3.62 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Caterpillar (CAT) at 6.31 sits in the pricier quartile — CAT costs more per dollar of sales.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

6.31

Max: 10.39
CAT: 6.31
Q3: 4.98
Median: 2.71
Q1: 1.31
Min: 0.05

DE

Capital Goods industry group

3.62

Max: 10.39
Q3: 4.98
DE: 3.62
Median: 2.71
Q1: 1.31
Min: 0.05

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

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Deere (DE) at 6.26 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Caterpillar (CAT) at 23.94 prices above its benchmark range — CAT looks rich relative to book.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

23.94

CAT: 23.94
Max: 12.74
Q3: 6.45
Median: 3.82
Q1: 2.07
Min: -2.94

DE

Capital Goods industry group

6.26

Max: 12.74
Q3: 6.45
DE: 6.26
Median: 3.82
Q1: 2.07
Min: -2.94

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

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere (DE)
Metric	CAT	DE
P/E Ratio (TTM)	48.40	36.01
P/S Ratio (TTM)	6.31	3.62
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	23.94	6.26
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	0.85%	0.64%