CAT vs TSLA: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Caterpillar Inc. and Tesla, 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
Tesla, Inc. Β· Consumer Cyclical
$387.51
-45.0% upside to fair value
Grade D
QuantHub Verdict
TSLA has more upside to fair value (-45.0%). CAT trades at a lower forward P/E (44.9x). These are model outputs β€” not personalized investment advice. See all research β†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric CAT TSLA
Current Price $912.14 $387.51
Fair Value Estimate $475.00 $213.13
Upside to Fair Value -47.9% -45.0%
Market Cap $420.2B $1,454.1B
Forward P/E 44.9x 330.0x
EV / EBITDA 30.0x 122.9x
Price / Sales 5.9x 15.3x
Price / FCF 36.7x 233.8x
Revenue Growth YoY +22.2% -3.1%
Gross Margin 32.5% 18.0%
Operating Margin 16.6% 4.6%
Return on Equity 47.5% 4.8%
Dividend Yield 1.5% 0%
FCF Yield 2.73% 0.43%
Analyst Consensus Hold Hold
Investment Thesis
CAT β€” Caterpillar Inc.
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 gen…
TSLA β€” Tesla, Inc.
Tesla, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of electric vehicles, energy storage, and solar products, led by CEO Elon Musk since 2008. The company has a mixed business quality profile with a strong brand and innovation leadership but faces significant challenges including declining automotive revenue, which fell nearly 10% year-over-year in 2025, and a 3.1% revenue decline in the most recent qua…
Accumulation Zones
Metric CAT TSLA
Zone Low $356.00 $159.85
Zone High $404.00 $181.16
In Buy Zone? No No
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