CAT vs NKE: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Caterpillar Inc. and NIKE, Inc. β fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-09-21.
Caterpillar Inc. Β· Industrials
$808.99
-2.2% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade C
High Quality
VS
NIKE, Inc. Β· Consumer Cyclical
$35.78
+9.9% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade C
QuantHub Verdict
NKE has more upside to fair value
(+9.9%).
These are model outputs β not personalized investment advice.
See all research β
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
CAT |
NKE |
| Current Price |
$808.99 |
$35.78 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$790.88 |
$39.33 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-2.2%
|
+9.9%
|
| Market Cap |
$372.6B |
$53.0B |
| Forward P/E |
β
|
β
|
| EV / EBITDA |
23.6x
|
12.0x
|
| Price / Sales |
5.0x
|
1.1x
|
| Price / FCF |
41.4x
|
24.3x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+24.0%
|
-1.1%
|
| Gross Margin |
33.9%
|
42.9%
|
| Operating Margin |
17.5%
|
8.2%
|
| Return on Equity |
54.1%
|
22.0%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0.76% |
4.58% |
| FCF Yield |
2.41%
|
4.12%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Buy
|
Hold
|
Investment Thesis
Caterpillar is the world's premier manufacturer of heavy construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas power units, and industrial gas turbines, organized across Construction Industries, Resource Industries, Energy & Transportation, and Financial Products, with 118,000 employees and a century-old brand. Business quality is high: return on equity of 54.1%, TTM operating margin of 17.5%β¦
NIKE designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and equipment through the Nike, Jordan and Converse brands, supported by global athlete marketing, valuable intellectual property and a broad wholesale and owned-digital network. Business quality is medium: its brand moat and 22.0% ROE remain meaningful, but the moat is narrowing amid intense competition, weak direct sales and uneveβ¦
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
CAT |
NKE |
| Zone Low |
$593.16 |
$29.50 |
| Zone High |
$672.25 |
$33.43 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|