CAT vs. FER: Caterpillar vs. Ferrovial Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Caterpillar (CAT) and Ferrovial (FER) 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 Ferrovial (FER) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but CAT is classified in Machinery while FER is classified in Construction & Engineering.

Company profile comparison for Caterpillar (CAT) and Ferrovial (FER)
Profile Item	CAT	FER
Name	Caterpillar Inc.	Ferrovial N.V.
Country/Region	United States	Netherlands
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry Group	Capital Goods	Capital Goods
GICS Industry	Machinery	Construction & Engineering
GICS Sub-Industry	Construction Machinery & Heavy Transportation Equipment	Construction & Engineering
Market Capitalization	255.63 billion USD	42.19 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	Nasdaq
Listing Date	January 2, 1962	August 13, 2012
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CAT

FER

GSPC

Caterpillar (CAT) vs. Ferrovial (FER), 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 Ferrovial (FER). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	CAT	FER
Total Return (1Y)	6.75%	-1.10%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	38.34%	26.01%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	25.28%	17.20%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CAT

FER

GSPC

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

Risk Metrics

Caterpillar (CAT) has an aggressive beta of 1.65, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Ferrovial (FER) is defensive at 0.36 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.

Risk profile metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	CAT	FER
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	41.33%	27.38%
Beta (5Y)	1.65	0.36
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-47.79%	-33.67%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.82M	1.95M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

CAT and FER 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 Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	CAT	FER
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.06	-0.20
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.08	-0.30

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Caterpillar (CAT) at 56.14% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Ferrovial (FER) at 11.62%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

56.14%

CAT: 56.14%
Max: 40.55%
Q3: 19.29%
Median: 12.12%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

FER

Capital Goods industry group

11.62%

Max: 40.55%
Q3: 19.29%
Median: 12.12%
FER: 11.62%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

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

Net Margin (TTM)

Caterpillar (CAT) at 15.21% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Ferrovial (FER) at 6.15%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

15.21%

Max: 27.47%
CAT: 15.21%
Q3: 12.10%
Median: 6.30%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

FER

Capital Goods industry group

6.15%

Max: 27.47%
Q3: 12.10%
Median: 6.30%
FER: 6.15%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

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

Operating Margin (TTM)

Caterpillar (CAT) at 20.19% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Ferrovial (FER) at 10.45%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

20.19%

Max: 36.60%
CAT: 20.19%
Q3: 18.33%
Median: 11.12%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

FER

Capital Goods industry group

10.45%

Max: 36.60%
Q3: 18.33%
Median: 11.12%
FER: 10.45%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

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

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	CAT	FER
ROE (TTM)	56.14%	11.62%
ROA (TTM)	9.09%	2.62%
Net Margin (TTM)	15.21%	6.15%
Operating Margin (TTM)	20.19%	10.45%
Gross Margin (TTM)	29.54%	87.14%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 4.29% and Ferrovial (FER) at 5.24% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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

EPS Growth

Caterpillar (CAT) at -14.69% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Ferrovial (FER) at -72.26% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	CAT	FER
Revenue Growth (YoY)	4.29%	5.24%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	4.38%	8.43%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-14.69%	-72.26%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	14.17%	70.54%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 1.42 and Ferrovial (FER) at 1.20 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

1.42

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.43
CAT: 1.42
Min: 0.36

FER

Capital Goods industry group

1.20

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.43
FER: 1.20
Min: 0.36

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

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 2.10 and Ferrovial (FER) at 1.44 lean more heavily on debt funding than most peers, landing in the higher-leverage quartile of their industries.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

2.10

Max: 2.33
CAT: 2.10
Q3: 1.12
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

FER

Capital Goods industry group

1.44

Max: 2.33
FER: 1.44
Q3: 1.12
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

Caterpillar (CAT) vs. Ferrovial (FER): 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 Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	CAT	FER
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.42	1.20
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	2.10	1.44
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.25	4.39

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 1.13% and Ferrovial (FER) at 0.94% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

1.13%

Max: 2.66%
Q3: 1.14%
CAT: 1.13%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

FER

Capital Goods industry group

0.94%

Max: 2.66%
Q3: 1.14%
FER: 0.94%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

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

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Caterpillar (CAT) at 24.18% keeps its payout in the industry’s typical band, while Ferrovial (FER) at 71.24% pays out more than any of its peers — the most stretched cover in its group.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

24.18%

Max: 67.39%
Q3: 28.02%
CAT: 24.18%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

FER

Capital Goods industry group

71.24%

FER: 71.24%
Max: 67.39%
Q3: 28.02%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

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

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	CAT	FER
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.13%	0.94%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	24.18%	71.24%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 21.92 and Ferrovial (FER) at 32.26 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

21.92

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
Median: 25.41
CAT: 21.92
Q1: 19.47
Min: 3.03

FER

Capital Goods industry group

32.26

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
FER: 32.26
Median: 25.41
Q1: 19.47
Min: 3.03

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

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Caterpillar (CAT) at 3.29 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Ferrovial (FER) at 4.28 sits in the pricier quartile — FER costs more per dollar of sales.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

3.29

Max: 7.54
Q3: 3.76
CAT: 3.29
Median: 2.15
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

FER

Capital Goods industry group

4.28

Max: 7.54
FER: 4.28
Q3: 3.76
Median: 2.15
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

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

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Ferrovial (FER) at 6.59 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Caterpillar (CAT) at 11.90 prices even higher, above its industry range.

CAT

Capital Goods industry group

11.90

CAT: 11.90
Max: 9.66
Q3: 5.00
Median: 3.12
Q1: 1.81
Min: -1.08

FER

Capital Goods industry group

6.59

Max: 9.66
FER: 6.59
Q3: 5.00
Median: 3.12
Q1: 1.81
Min: -1.08

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

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	CAT	FER
P/E Ratio (TTM)	21.92	32.26
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.29	4.28
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	11.90	6.59
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	1.55%	2.11%