CAT vs HD: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Caterpillar Inc. and The Home Depot, Inc. โ€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-04-11.
Caterpillar Inc. ยท Industrials
$792.65
-8.8% upside to fair value
Grade D
VS
The Home Depot, Inc. ยท Consumer Cyclical
$337.34
+12.1% upside to fair value
Med Conviction Grade B
QuantHub Verdict
HD has more upside to fair value (+12.1%). HD trades at a lower forward P/E (23.0x). These are model outputs โ€” not personalized investment advice. See all research โ†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric CAT HD
Current Price $792.65 $337.34
Fair Value Estimate $723.13 $378.00
Upside to Fair Value -8.8% +12.1%
Market Cap $370.9B $336.0B
Forward P/E 41.7x 23.0x
EV / EBITDA 27.2x 18.1x
Price / Sales 5.5x 2.3x
Price / FCF 36.1x 29.7x
Revenue Growth YoY +8.5% +3.2%
Gross Margin 32.3% 33.3%
Operating Margin 16.6% 12.7%
Return on Equity 45.1% 110.5%
Dividend Yield 0% 2.44%
FCF Yield 2.77% 3.37%
Analyst Consensus Buy Buy
Investment Thesis
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
HD โ€” The Home Depot, Inc.
Home Depot remains the world's largest home improvement retailer with 2,350+ stores, dominant 52% market share, and a rapidly growing Pro contractor segment bolstered by the SRS Distribution acquisition. The stock has declined 21% from its $427 high to $337, but now trades at 2.28x P/S, near the 5-year median of 2.31x, and 26.5x P/E which is above the 5-year median of 23.5x. EPS declined 4.6% in โ€ฆ
Accumulation Zones
Metric CAT HD
Zone Low $542.35 $285.00
Zone High $614.66 $320.00
In Buy Zone? No No
โ† CAT Research    HD Research โ†’    All Research