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

ETN has the lower trailing P/E: CAT trades at 40.54 and ETN at 37.82. 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 10.47% CAGR versus ETN at 9.45%.

Does CAT or ETN pay a bigger dividend?

CAT yields 0.74% and ETN yields 1.11% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CAT or ETN more profitable?

CAT runs the higher net margin — CAT at 13.31% versus ETN at 12.76%.

How have CAT and ETN total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CAT delivered 28.47% and ETN delivered 23.62% 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 August 1, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CAT

Caterpillar Inc.

$375.33B

$814.81IndustrialsAt close: Jul 31, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

ETN

Eaton Corporation plc

$161.22B

$415.20IndustrialsDelayed quote: Jul 31, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CAT vs ETN

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30y

CAT +9992.8%ETN +7523.8%CAT compounded faster

CAT ETN

CAT vs ETN: by the numbers

•CAT is the larger company ($375.33B vs $161.22B market cap).
•ETN trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (37.82 vs 40.54 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•CAT converts more revenue to profit (13.31% vs 12.76% net margin).
•CAT grew revenue faster over the past five years (10.47% vs 9.45% CAGR).
•ETN pays the higher dividend yield (1.11% vs 0.74%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CAT	ETN
P/E ratio	40.54	37.82
Forward P/E	32.88	28.99
P/S ratio	5.36	5.28
P/B ratio	20.34	7.62
PEG ratio	1.45	3.05
EV / EBITDA	29.82	27.64
FCF yield	3.02%	3.12%

Profitability

Metric	CAT	ETN
Gross margin	32.52%	35.90%
Operating margin	16.56%	17.68%
Net margin	13.31%	12.76%
ROE	50.48%	18.91%
ROIC	11.42%	13.14%

Dividends

Metric	CAT	ETN
Dividend yield	0.74%	1.11%
Payout ratio	31.96%	40.80%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CAT	ETN
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	10.47%	9.45%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	27.96%	24.48%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	17.77%	16.55%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	33.83%	23.24%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CAT or ETN?: ETN has the lower trailing P/E: CAT trades at 40.54 and ETN at 37.82. 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 10.47% CAGR versus ETN at 9.45%.
Does CAT or ETN pay a bigger dividend?: CAT yields 0.74% and ETN yields 1.11% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CAT or ETN more profitable?: CAT runs the higher net margin — CAT at 13.31% versus ETN at 12.76%.
How have CAT and ETN total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CAT delivered 28.47% and ETN delivered 23.62% 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

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 August 1, 2026.