Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) vs NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA)

NVDA leads on 13 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Caterpillar Inc. and NVIDIA Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 15, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Compare

Total return — CAT vs NVDA

growth of $100 · last 27y
CAT +4044.6%NVDA +500157.2%NVDA compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10k100k1MStart $10020042009201420192024$4,145$500,257
CAT NVDA

CAT vs NVDA: by the numbers

  • NVDA is the larger company ($4.97T vs $419.44B market cap).
  • NVDA trades at the lower earnings multiple (31.42 vs 45.30 P/E).
  • NVDA converts more revenue to profit (62.97% vs 13.31% net margin).
  • NVDA grew revenue faster over the past five years (68.23% vs 10.47% CAGR).
  • CAT pays the higher dividend yield (0.66% vs 0.01%).

Which is better, CAT or NVDA?

Metric tally: CAT 4 · NVDA 13

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueNVDA(lower P/E)
GrowthNVDA(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeCAT(higher dividend yield)
QualityNVDA(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

MetricCATNVDA
P/E ratio45.3031.42
Forward P/E36.9216.44
P/S ratio5.9919.74
P/B ratio22.7325.60
PEG ratio1.620.57
EV / EBITDA29.1025.96
FCF yield2.70%2.38%

Profitability

MetricCATNVDA
Gross margin32.52%74.15%
Operating margin16.56%64.02%
Net margin13.31%62.97%
ROE50.48%81.65%
ROIC11.42%62.88%

Dividends

MetricCATNVDA
Dividend yield0.66%0.01%
Payout ratio31.96%0.61%

Growth (annualized)

MetricCATNVDA
Revenue CAGR (5Y)10.47%68.23%
EPS CAGR (5Y)27.96%85.78%
FCF CAGR (5Y)17.77%85.52%
Total return CAGR (5Y)35.15%63.05%

Frequently asked

Which is better, CAT or NVDA?
It depends on your goal. value: NVDA (lower P/E); growth: NVDA (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: CAT (higher dividend yield); quality: NVDA (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, NVDA leads 13 to 4.
Is CAT or NVDA cheaper?
On trailing earnings, NVDA is cheaper: CAT trades at a 45.30 P/E and NVDA at 31.42.
Which has grown faster, CAT or NVDA?
Over the past five years, NVDA grew revenue faster — CAT at a 10.47% CAGR versus NVDA at 68.23%.
Does CAT or NVDA pay a bigger dividend?
CAT yields 0.66% and NVDA yields 0.01% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CAT or NVDA more profitable?
NVDA runs the higher net margin — CAT at 13.31% versus NVDA at 62.97%.
Which has been the better investment, CAT or NVDA?
Over the past 10-year, NVDA delivered the higher annualized total return — CAT at 31.11% versus NVDA at 68.06%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

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 June 15, 2026.