CAT vs COST: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Caterpillar Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corporation — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-07-08.
Caterpillar Inc. · Industrials
$940.12
-39.4% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
VS
Costco Wholesale Corporation · Consumer Defensive
$947.50
-1.4% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
COST has more upside to fair value
(-1.4%).
CAT trades at a lower forward P/E
(46.6x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
CAT |
COST |
| Current Price |
$940.12 |
$947.50 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$569.47 |
$933.84 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-39.4%
|
-1.4%
|
| Market Cap |
$433.1B |
$420.2B |
| Forward P/E |
46.6x
|
47.6x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
29.7x
|
28.3x
|
| Price / Sales |
6.1x
|
1.4x
|
| Price / FCF |
37.8x
|
47.7x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+22.2%
|
+11.6%
|
| Gross Margin |
32.5%
|
12.9%
|
| Operating Margin |
16.6%
|
3.8%
|
| Return on Equity |
47.5%
|
28.3%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
2.64%
|
2.1%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Hold
|
Buy
|
Investment Thesis
Caterpillar Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of agricultural and construction machinery, operating within the Industrials sector. The company demonstrates high business quality with a durable competitive moat supported by strong brand recognition, cost advantages, and intangible assets. It posted robust revenue growth of 22.2% and earnings growth of 27.3% in the most recent quarter, reflecti…
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates as a membership-only warehouse club offering a wide range of merchandise at low prices. The company exhibits high business quality with a durable competitive moat driven by cost advantages, strong brand loyalty, and efficient operations, reflected in a robust ROE of 28.3% and solid revenue growth of 11.6% in the most recent quarter. Despite these strengths, t…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
CAT |
COST |
| Zone Low |
$427.10 |
$700.38 |
| Zone High |
$484.05 |
$793.76 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|