CAT vs MELI: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Caterpillar Inc. and MercadoLibre, Inc. β fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-05-13.
Caterpillar Inc. Β· Industrials
$912.14
-47.9% upside to fair value
Grade D
High Quality
VS
MercadoLibre, Inc. Β· Consumer Cyclical
$1,632.52
+45.0% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
MELI has more upside to fair value
(+45.0%).
MELI trades at a lower forward P/E
(43.1x).
These are model outputs β not personalized investment advice.
See all research β
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
CAT |
MELI |
| Current Price |
$912.14 |
$1,632.52 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$475.00 |
$2,367.15 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-47.9%
|
+45.0%
|
| Market Cap |
$420.2B |
$82.8B |
| Forward P/E |
44.9x
|
43.1x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
30.0x
|
22.5x
|
| Price / Sales |
5.9x
|
2.7x
|
| Price / FCF |
36.7x
|
7.2x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+22.2%
|
+30.0%
|
| Gross Margin |
32.5%
|
45.5%
|
| Operating Margin |
16.6%
|
9.9%
|
| Return on Equity |
47.5%
|
29.6%
|
| Dividend Yield |
1.5% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
2.73%
|
13.89%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Hold
|
Strong Buy
|
Investment Thesis
Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, with diversified revenue across Construction Industries, Resource Industries, Energy & Transportation, and Cat Financial. Q1 2026 results reported April 30 showed revenue of $17.4 billion (+22.2% YoY) and EPS of $5.50 (+30.3% YoY), driven by powerful demand from data center build-outs (large engine and power genβ¦
MercadoLibre, Inc. operates a leading e-commerce and fintech platform in Latin America, combining a dominant commerce marketplace with a rapidly growing fintech segment. The company benefits from a durable competitive moat driven by network effects, strong brand recognition, and a comprehensive logistics infrastructure. Despite a recent earnings growth decline of 15.6% in the most recent quarter,β¦
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
CAT |
MELI |
| Zone Low |
$356.00 |
$1,775.36 |
| Zone High |
$404.00 |
$2,012.08 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
Yes
|