CAT vs. GFL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at CAT and GFL, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | CAT | GFL |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Caterpillar Inc. | GFL Environmental Inc. |
| Country | United States | Canada |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Machinery | Commercial Services & Supplies |
| Market Capitalization | 225.25 billion USD | 16.67 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | January 2, 1962 | March 3, 2020 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of CAT and GFL by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | CAT | GFL |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 3.69% | 2.07% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 23.00% | -3.14% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 41.71% | -4.46% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 22.93% | 22.26% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 0.77% | -3.99% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 32.54% | 2.93% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 3.27M | 0.76M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 2.77M | 0.44M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 22.16% | 22.17% |
| Beta | 1.55 | 0.48 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
CAT
49.92%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 33.68%
- Q3
- 20.05%
- Median
- 12.37%
- Q1
- 8.67%
- Min
- -7.69%
CAT’s Return on Equity of 49.92% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Machinery industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
GFL
48.97%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.93%
- Q3
- 16.86%
- Median
- 10.28%
- Q1
- 6.63%
- Min
- 0.71%
GFL’s Return on Equity of 48.97% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
CAT
14.95%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 19.72%
- Q3
- 11.07%
- Median
- 7.62%
- Q1
- 5.05%
- Min
- -1.52%
A Net Profit Margin of 14.95% places CAT in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
GFL
49.85%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 16.98%
- Q3
- 9.05%
- Median
- 5.35%
- Q1
- 3.42%
- Min
- -2.31%
GFL’s Net Profit Margin of 49.85% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
CAT
18.23%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 26.63%
- Q3
- 15.99%
- Median
- 11.27%
- Q1
- 7.72%
- Min
- -0.51%
An Operating Profit Margin of 18.23% places CAT in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
GFL
5.83%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 23.33%
- Q3
- 12.51%
- Median
- 8.33%
- Q1
- 4.45%
- Min
- -2.90%
GFL’s Operating Profit Margin of 5.83% is around the midpoint for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | CAT | GFL |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 49.92% | 48.97% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 10.81% | 18.18% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.95% | 49.85% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 18.23% | 5.83% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 36.53% | 20.03% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
CAT
1.34
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 3.13
- Q3
- 2.12
- Median
- 1.72
- Q1
- 1.34
- Min
- 0.77
CAT’s Current Ratio of 1.34 aligns with the median group of the Machinery industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
GFL
0.67
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.73
- Q3
- 2.13
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.91
- Min
- 0.59
GFL’s Current Ratio of 0.67 falls into the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
CAT
2.18
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 1.56
- Q3
- 0.79
- Median
- 0.44
- Q1
- 0.27
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.18, CAT operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Machinery industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
GFL
0.94
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 2.24
- Q3
- 1.14
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.36
- Min
- 0.00
GFL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.94 is typical for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
CAT
12.53
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 81.58
- Q3
- 37.68
- Median
- 13.76
- Q1
- 7.97
- Min
- -1.43
CAT’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 12.53 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Machinery industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
GFL
-0.09
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 24.70
- Q3
- 13.44
- Median
- 9.06
- Q1
- 3.42
- Min
- -10.97
GFL has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -0.09. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | CAT | GFL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.34 | 0.67 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.72 | 0.55 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 2.18 | 0.94 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 12.53 | -0.09 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
CAT
1.19%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 4.55%
- Q3
- 2.66%
- Median
- 1.90%
- Q1
- 1.23%
- Min
- 0.00%
CAT’s Dividend Yield of 1.19% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
GFL
0.13%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.65%
- Q3
- 2.43%
- Median
- 1.58%
- Q1
- 0.74%
- Min
- 0.00%
GFL’s Dividend Yield of 0.13% is in the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
CAT
28.60%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 198.34%
- Q3
- 101.42%
- Median
- 62.79%
- Q1
- 29.85%
- Min
- 0.00%
CAT’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 28.60% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.
GFL
0.61%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 137.88%
- Q3
- 73.07%
- Median
- 44.79%
- Q1
- 27.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
GFL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 0.61% is in the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | CAT | GFL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.19% | 0.13% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 28.60% | 0.61% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
CAT
23.96
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 47.95
- Q3
- 30.11
- Median
- 22.35
- Q1
- 16.56
- Min
- 6.48
CAT’s P/E Ratio of 23.96 is within the middle range for the Machinery industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
GFL
6.64
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 57.87
- Q3
- 33.40
- Median
- 23.56
- Q1
- 15.28
- Min
- 6.56
In the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, GFL’s P/E Ratio of 6.64 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
CAT
3.58
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 4.97
- Q3
- 2.76
- Median
- 1.65
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.04
CAT’s P/S Ratio of 3.58 is in the upper echelon for the Machinery industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
GFL
3.31
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.84
- Q3
- 2.58
- Median
- 1.09
- Q1
- 0.62
- Min
- 0.06
GFL’s P/S Ratio of 3.31 is in the upper echelon for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
CAT
9.78
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 7.29
- Q3
- 4.06
- Median
- 2.67
- Q1
- 1.54
- Min
- 0.52
At 9.78, CAT’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Machinery industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
GFL
3.27
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 6.40
- Q3
- 3.97
- Median
- 2.44
- Q1
- 1.60
- Min
- 0.40
GFL’s P/B Ratio of 3.27 is within the conventional range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | CAT | GFL |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 23.96 | 6.64 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 3.58 | 3.31 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 9.78 | 3.27 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 29.22 | 72.36 |