Which has the lower trailing P/E, CAT or ETN?

CAT has the lower trailing P/E: CAT trades at 36.36 and ETN at 44.37. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CAT or ETN?

Over the past five years, CAT grew revenue faster — CAT at a 10.24% CAGR versus ETN at 9.45%.

Does CAT or ETN pay a bigger dividend?

CAT yields 0.73% and ETN yields 1.00% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CAT or ETN more profitable?

CAT runs the higher net margin — CAT at 14.50% versus ETN at 12.76%.

How have CAT and ETN total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CAT delivered 28.04% and ETN delivered 23.70% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) vs Eaton Corporation plc (ETN)

A side-by-side comparison of Caterpillar Inc. and Eaton Corporation plc across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 4, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CAT

Caterpillar Inc.

$389.43B

$845.42IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

ETN

Eaton Corporation plc

$169.34B

$436.11IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CAT vs ETN

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CAT +1103.0% (+28.2%/yr)ETN +760.4% (+24.0%/yr)CAT compounded faster over this window

CAT ETN

CAT vs ETN: by the numbers

•CAT is the larger company ($389.43B vs $169.34B market cap).
•CAT trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (36.36 vs 44.37 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•CAT converts more revenue to profit (14.50% vs 12.76% net margin).
•CAT grew revenue faster over the past five years (10.24% vs 9.45% CAGR).
•ETN pays the higher dividend yield (1.00% vs 0.73%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CAT	ETN
P/E ratio	36.36	44.37
Forward P/E	31.03	32.15
PEG ratio	1.29	1.81
P/S ratio	5.21	5.64
P/B ratio	20.08	8.36
EV / EBITDA	27.66	29.30
FCF yield	2.31%	2.32%

Profitability

Metric	CAT	ETN
Gross margin	33.87%	35.90%
Operating margin	17.52%	17.68%
Net margin	14.50%	12.76%
ROE	55.85%	18.91%
ROIC	13.30%	9.09%

Dividends

Metric	CAT	ETN
Dividend yield	0.73%	1.00%
Payout ratio	26.49%	44.15%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CAT	ETN
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	10.24%	9.45%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	27.96%	24.48%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	9.80%	11.31%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	36.50%	25.61%

Some values include inputs from SEC filing.

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CAT or ETN?: CAT has the lower trailing P/E: CAT trades at 36.36 and ETN at 44.37. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CAT or ETN?: Over the past five years, CAT grew revenue faster — CAT at a 10.24% CAGR versus ETN at 9.45%.
Does CAT or ETN pay a bigger dividend?: CAT yields 0.73% and ETN yields 1.00% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CAT or ETN more profitable?: CAT runs the higher net margin — CAT at 14.50% versus ETN at 12.76%.
How have CAT and ETN total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CAT delivered 28.04% and ETN delivered 23.70% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CAT analysis Full ETN analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Caterpillar P/E ratio Eaton P/E ratio Caterpillar dividend yield Eaton dividend yield Caterpillar ROE Eaton ROE Caterpillar operating margin Eaton operating margin Caterpillar revenue growth Eaton revenue growth Caterpillar free cash flow Eaton free cash flow

Caterpillar & Eaton appear in these rankings

25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest ROE Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks Largest Companies by Market Cap

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 4, 2026.