CAT vs. WTS: Caterpillar vs. Watts Water Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Caterpillar (CAT) and Watts Water (WTS) 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 Watts Water (WTS) both belong to the Machinery industry, though CAT is classified under Construction Machinery & Heavy Transportation Equipment while WTS falls under Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components.

Company profile comparison for Caterpillar (CAT) and Watts Water (WTS)
Profile Item	CAT	WTS
Name	Caterpillar Inc.	Watts Water Technologies, Inc. Class A Common Stock
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	Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components
Market Capitalization	255.63 billion USD	11.55 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 1962	August 21, 1986
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CAT

WTS

GSPC

Caterpillar (CAT) vs. Watts Water (WTS), 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 Watts Water (WTS). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Watts Water (WTS)
Metric	CAT	WTS
Total Return (1Y)	6.75%	33.85%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	38.34%	25.59%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	25.28%	12.56%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CAT

WTS

GSPC

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

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Watts Water (WTS)
Metric	CAT	WTS
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	41.33%	27.38%
Beta (5Y)	1.65	1.11
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-47.79%	-44.08%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.82M	225.08K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

CAT and WTS 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 Watts Water (WTS)
Metric	CAT	WTS
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.06	1.08
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.08	1.78

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Caterpillar (CAT) at 56.14% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Watts Water (WTS) at 20.91% also sits in the top quartile.

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%

WTS

Capital Goods industry group

20.91%

Max: 40.55%
WTS: 20.91%
Q3: 19.29%
Median: 12.12%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

Caterpillar (CAT) vs. Watts Water (WTS): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Caterpillar (CAT) at 15.21% and Watts Water (WTS) at 16.00% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

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%

WTS

Capital Goods industry group

16.00%

Max: 27.47%
WTS: 16.00%
Q3: 12.10%
Median: 6.30%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

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

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 20.19% and Watts Water (WTS) at 20.85% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

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%

WTS

Capital Goods industry group

20.85%

Max: 36.60%
WTS: 20.85%
Q3: 18.33%
Median: 11.12%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

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

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Watts Water (WTS)
Metric	CAT	WTS
ROE (TTM)	56.14%	20.91%
ROA (TTM)	9.09%	12.05%
Net Margin (TTM)	15.21%	16.00%
Operating Margin (TTM)	20.19%	20.85%
Gross Margin (TTM)	29.54%	49.09%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 4.29% and Watts Water (WTS) at 8.27% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Caterpillar (CAT) vs. Watts Water (WTS): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at -14.69% and Watts Water (WTS) at 17.03% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Caterpillar (CAT) vs. Watts Water (WTS): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Watts Water (WTS)
Metric	CAT	WTS
Revenue Growth (YoY)	4.29%	8.27%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	4.38%	7.20%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-14.69%	17.03%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	14.17%	10.78%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Watts Water (WTS) at 2.80 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Caterpillar (CAT) at 1.42 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for CAT.

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

WTS

Capital Goods industry group

2.80

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
WTS: 2.80
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.43
Min: 0.36

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

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Watts Water (WTS) at 0.08 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while Caterpillar (CAT) at 2.10 sits in the higher-leverage quartile.

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

WTS

Capital Goods industry group

0.08

Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.12
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.29
WTS: 0.08
Min: 0.00

Caterpillar (CAT) vs. Watts Water (WTS): 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 Watts Water (WTS)
Metric	CAT	WTS
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.42	2.80
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	2.10	0.08
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.25	-0.40

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 1.13% and Watts Water (WTS) at 0.66% 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%

WTS

Capital Goods industry group

0.66%

Max: 2.66%
Q3: 1.14%
WTS: 0.66%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

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

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 24.18% and Watts Water (WTS) at 17.24% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

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%

WTS

Capital Goods industry group

17.24%

Max: 67.39%
Q3: 28.02%
WTS: 17.24%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

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

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Watts Water (WTS)
Metric	CAT	WTS
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.13%	0.66%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	24.18%	17.24%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Caterpillar (CAT) at 21.92 and Watts Water (WTS) at 25.95 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

WTS

Capital Goods industry group

25.95

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
WTS: 25.95
Median: 25.41
Q1: 19.47
Min: 3.03

Caterpillar (CAT) vs. Watts Water (WTS): 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 Watts Water (WTS) at 4.14 sits in the pricier quartile — WTS 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

WTS

Capital Goods industry group

4.14

Max: 7.54
WTS: 4.14
Q3: 3.76
Median: 2.15
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

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

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Watts Water (WTS) at 4.98 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Caterpillar (CAT) at 11.90 prices above its benchmark range — CAT looks rich relative to book.

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

WTS

Capital Goods industry group

4.98

Max: 9.66
Q3: 5.00
WTS: 4.98
Median: 3.12
Q1: 1.81
Min: -1.08

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

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Caterpillar (CAT) and Watts Water (WTS)
Metric	CAT	WTS
P/E Ratio (TTM)	21.92	25.95
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.29	4.14
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	11.90	4.98
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	1.55%	2.21%