AAPL vs CAT: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Apple Inc. and Caterpillar Inc. โ€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-04-10.
Apple Inc. ยท Technology
$260.88
+135.9% upside to fair value
Grade B High Quality
VS
Caterpillar Inc. ยท Industrials
$792.65
-8.8% upside to fair value
Grade D
QuantHub Verdict
AAPL has more upside to fair value (+135.9%). AAPL trades at a lower forward P/E (32.6x). These are model outputs โ€” not personalized investment advice. See all research โ†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric AAPL CAT
Current Price $260.88 $792.65
Fair Value Estimate $615.48 $723.13
Upside to Fair Value +135.9% -8.8%
Market Cap $3,834.4B $370.9B
Forward P/E 32.6x 41.7x
EV / EBITDA 25.4x 27.2x
Price / Sales 8.8x 5.5x
Price / FCF 31.1x 36.1x
Revenue Growth YoY +40.3% +8.5%
Gross Margin 47.3% 32.3%
Operating Margin 32.4% 16.6%
Return on Equity 159.9% 45.1%
Dividend Yield 0% 0%
FCF Yield 3.21% 2.77%
Analyst Consensus Strong Buy Buy
Investment Thesis
AAPL โ€” Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. is a leading technology company specializing in consumer electronics, software, and services with a strong brand and durable competitive advantages. The business quality is high, demonstrated by exceptional profitability metrics including a 159.9% return on equity, 40.3% revenue growth year-over-year, and 53.3% earnings growth year-over-year. Despite these fundamentals, the stock is cuโ€ฆ
CAT โ€” Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, engines, and industrial machinery, with a strong global footprint and a record $67.6 billion in revenues for 2025. The company benefits from a durable competitive position supported by a broad product portfolio and a large installed base, but faces margin pressure from tariffs and cost inflation. Despite soโ€ฆ
Accumulation Zones
Metric AAPL CAT
Zone Low $461.61 $542.35
Zone High $523.16 $614.66
In Buy Zone? Yes No
โ† AAPL Research    CAT Research โ†’    All Research