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Intangible assets are defined as identifiable non-monetary assets that cannot be seen, touched or physically measured. Caterpillar's intangible assets for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was CHF4,947 Mil.
If a company (company A) received a patent through their own work, though it has value, it does not show up on its balance sheet as an intangible asset. However, if company A sells this patent to company B, it will show up on company B's balance sheet as an intangible asset.
The same applies to brand names, trade secrets etc. For instance, Coca-Cola's brand is extremely valuable, but the brand does not appear on its balance sheet, because the brand was never acquired.
Some intangibles are amortized. Amortization is the depreciation of intangible assets.
Many intangibles are not amortized. They may still be written down when the company decides the asset is impaired.
Whenever you see an increase in goodwill over a number of years, you can assume it's because the company is out buying other businesses above book value. GOOD if buying businesses with durable competitive advantage.
If goodwill stays the same, the company when acquiring other companies is either paying less than book value or not acquiring. Businesses with moats never sell for less than book value.
Intangibles acquired are on balance sheet at fair value.
Internally developed brand names (Coke, Wrigleys, Band-Aid) however are not reflected on the balance sheet.
One of the reasons competitive advantage power can remain hidden for so long.
Be Aware
Companies may change the way intangible assets are amortized, and this will affect their reported earnings.
Caterpillar Intangible Assets Related Terms
Caterpillar Intangible Assets Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Caterpillar's Intangible Assets can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Intangible assets are defined as identifiable non-monetary assets that cannot be seen, touched or physically measured. Examples of intangible assets include trade secrets, copyrights, patents, trademarks. If a company acquires assets at the prices above the book value, it may carry goodwill on its balance sheet. Goodwill reflects the difference between the price the company paid and the book value of the assets.
What does a Intangible Assets of CHF4,947 Mil mean?
Caterpillar (XSWX:CAT) has a Intangible Assets of CHF4,947 Mil as of Mar. 2026. Intangible assets include patents, goodwill and trade secrets. View historical data on Caterpillar and its competitors.
Is Caterpillar's Intangible Assets too high?
Caterpillar's current Intangible Assets is CHF4,947 Mil. Overall, Caterpillar has a GF Score™ of 81/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Caterpillar's Intangible Assets compare to DE and PCAR?
Caterpillar's Intangible Assets of CHF4,947 Mil can be compared against companies in the Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Intangible Assets for a Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery company?
A good Intangible Assets depends on the Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery industry context. However, Intangible Assets should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Intangible Assets mean?
A high Intangible Assets can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Intangible assets include patents, goodwill and trade secrets. View historical data on Caterpillar and its competitors. Caterpillar's current Intangible Assets is CHF4,947 Mil. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Caterpillar stock overvalued right now?
Caterpillar (XSWX:CAT) has a current Intangible Assets of CHF4,947 Mil. The stock's GF Value™ is CHF344.77, compared to a current price of CHF763.20 — trading 121.4% above its estimated fair value. The current Intangible Assets is CHF4,947 Mil. Caterpillar's overall GF Score™ is 81/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Intangible Assets calculated?
Intangible Assets is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Caterpillar (XSWX:CAT), the current Intangible Assets is CHF4,947 Mil as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Caterpillar (XSWX:CAT) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Caterpillar stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of CHF763.20 is trading 121.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of CHF344.77.
Key valuation signals for XSWX:CAT:
Intangible Assets: CHF4,947 Mil
GF Value™: CHF344.77 vs. price of CHF763.20 (121.4% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSWX:CAT stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. Its reporting segments are construction, resource, energy, and transportation. Market share approaches 20% across many products. Caterpillar operates a captive finance subsidiary to facilitate sales. The firm has a global reach that is approximately evenly balanced between the US and the rest of the world. Construction skews more domestic, while the other divisions are more geographically diversified. An independent network of over 150 dealers operates approximately 2,800 facilities, giving Caterpillar reach into about 190 countries for sales and support services.
81GF Score
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Intangible Assets is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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