The PE Ratio, or Price-to-Earnings ratio, or P/E Ratio, is a financial ratio used to compare a company's market price to its Earnings per Share (Diluted). As of today (2026-06-25), Caterpillar's share price is $996.00.
Caterpillar's Earnings per Share (Diluted) for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was $20.09. Therefore, Caterpillar's PE Ratio for today is 49.58.
Warning Sign:
Caterpillar Inc stock PE Ratio (=49.5) is close to 5-year high of 49.5.
During the past 13 years, Caterpillar's highest PE Ratio was 831.40. The lowest was 8.92. And the median was 18.47.
Caterpillar's EPS (Diluted) for the
three
months ended in Mar. 2026 was $5.47.
Its EPS (Diluted) for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was $20.09.
As of today (2026-06-25), Caterpillar's share price is $996.00.
Caterpillar's EPS without NRI for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was $20.37. Therefore, Caterpillar's PE Ratio without NRI ratio for today is 48.90.
During the past 13 years, Caterpillar's highestPE Ratio without NRI was 48.82. The lowest was 8.63. And the median was 17.91.
Caterpillar's EPS without NRI for the
three
months ended in Mar. 2026 was $5.54.
Its EPS without NRI for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was $20.37.
During the past 12 months, Caterpillar's average EPS without NRIGrowth Rate was -0.90% per year.
During the past 3 years, the average EPS without NRIGrowth Rate was 11.30% per year.
During the past 5 years, the average EPS without NRIGrowth Rate was 25.20% per year.
During the past 10 years, the average EPS without NRIGrowth Rate was 17.30% per year.
During the past 13 years, Caterpillar's highest 3-Year average EPS without NRI Growth Rate was 100.30% per year. The lowest was -21.20% per year. And the median was 11.30% per year.
Caterpillar's EPS (Basic) for the
three
months ended in Mar. 2026 was $5.50.
Its EPS (Basic) for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was $20.20.
Back to Basics: PE Ratio
Caterpillar (LIM:CAT) PE Ratio Explanation
The PE Ratio can be viewed as the number of years it takes for the company to earn back the price you pay for the stock. For example, if a company earns $2 a share per year, and the stock is traded at $30, the PE Ratio is 15. Therefore it takes 15 years for the company to earn back the $30 you paid for its stock, assuming the earnings stays constant over the next 15 years.
In real business, earnings never stay constant. If a company can grow its earnings, it takes fewer years for the company to earn back the price you pay for the stock. If a company's earnings decline it takes more years. As a shareholder, you want the company to earn back the price you pay as soon as possible. Therefore, lower P/E stocks are more attractive than higher P/E stocks so long as the PE Ratio is positive. Also for stocks with the same PE Ratio, the one with faster growth business is more attractive.
If a company loses money, the PE Ratio becomes meaningless.
To compare stocks with different growth rates, Peter Lynch invented a ratio called PEG Ratio. PEG Ratio is defined as the PE Ratio divided by the growth ratio. He thinks a company with a PE Ratio equal to its growth rate is fairly valued. Still he said he would rather buy a company growing 20% a year with a PE Ratio of 20, instead of a company growing 10% a year with a PE Ratio of 10.
Because the PE Ratio measures how long it takes to earn back the price you pay, the PE Ratio can be applied to the stocks across different industries. That is why it is the one of the most important and widely used indicators for the valuation of stocks.
Investors need to be aware that the PE Ratio can be misleading a lot of times, especially when the underlying business is cyclical and unpredictable. As Peter Lynch pointed out, cyclical businesses have higher profit margins at the peaks of the business cycles. Their earnings are high and PE Ratios are artificially low. It is usually a bad idea to buy a cyclical business when the PE Ratio is low. A better ratio to identify the time to buy a cyclical businesses is the PS Ratio.
PE Ratio can also be affected by non-recurring-items such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio.
Caterpillar PE Ratio Related Terms
Caterpillar PE Ratio Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Caterpillar's PE Ratio 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.
For the Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery subindustry, Caterpillar's PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and PE Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Caterpillar PE Ratio vs Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery Industry
For the Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery industry and Industrials sector, Caterpillar's PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Caterpillar's PE Ratio falls into.
The PE Ratio, or Price-to-Earnings ratio, or P/E Ratio, is a financial ratio used to compare a company's market price to its Earnings per Share (Diluted). It is the most widely used ratio in the valuation of stocks.
Caterpillar's Share Price of today is $996.00. Caterpillar's Earnings per Share (Diluted) for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was $20.09.
* 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.
It can also be calculated from the numbers for the whole company:
There are at least three kinds of PE Ratios used by different investors. They are Trailing Twelve Month PE Ratio, Forward PE Ratio, or PE Ratio without NRI. A new PE Ratio based on inflation-adjusted normalized PE Ratio is called Shiller PE Ratio, after Yale professor Robert Shiller.
In the calculation of PE Ratio, the earnings per share used are the earnings per share over the past 12 months. For Forward PE Ratio, the earnings are the expected earnings for the next twelve months. In the case of PE Ratio without NRI, the reported earnings less the non-recurring items are used.
For Shiller PE Ratio, the earnings of the past 10 years are inflation-adjusted and averaged. Since it looks at the average over the last 10 years, Shiller PE Ratio is also called PE10.
Caterpillar (LIM:CAT) has a PE Ratio of 49.58 as of Jun. 25, 2026. P/E ratio is the ratio of share price to a company's earnings per share. View historical data on Caterpillar and its competitors. This is 168% above median its historical median of 18.47. Over the past decade, Caterpillar's PE Ratio has ranged from 8.92 to 831.40.
Is Caterpillar's PE Ratio too high?
Caterpillar's current PE Ratio of 49.58 is 168% above median its 10-year median of 18.47. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 8.92 to a high of 831.40. Overall, Caterpillar has a GF Score™ of 68/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Caterpillar's PE Ratio compare to DE and PCAR?
Caterpillar's PE Ratio of 49.58 can be compared against companies in the Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery industry. Historically, Caterpillar's own PE Ratio has ranged from 8.92 to 831.40 over the past decade. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good PE Ratio for a Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery company?
A good PE Ratio depends on the Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery industry context. However, PE Ratio 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 PE Ratio mean?
A high PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. P/E ratio is the ratio of share price to a company's earnings per share. View historical data on Caterpillar and its competitors. Caterpillar's current PE Ratio is 49.58, which is 168% above median its own 10-year median of 18.47. 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?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Caterpillar (LIM:CAT) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $395.02, compared to a current price of $996.00 — trading 152.1% above its estimated fair value. The current PE Ratio is 49.58, which is 168% above median its 10-year median of 18.47. Caterpillar's overall GF Score™ is 68/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is PE Ratio calculated?
PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Caterpillar (LIM:CAT), the current PE Ratio is 49.58 as of Jun. 25, 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 (LIM:CAT) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Caterpillar stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $996.00 is trading 152.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of $395.02.
GuruFocus considers Caterpillar to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for LIM:CAT:
PE Ratio: 49.58 (168% above median its 10-year median of 18.47)
GF Value™: $395.02 vs. price of $996.00 (152.1% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the LIM: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.
68GF Score
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