AMSC vs HWM vs CAT Stock Comparison

American Superconductor, Howmet Aerospace and Caterpillar Prices as of Nov 5, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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HWM Howmet Aerospace Inc.
$200.90 -13.3% 1M -2.6% 1Y
Market cap
$79.96B
P/E
38.9x
Revenue (TTM)
$9.73B
Div. yield
0.25%
Commercial Aerospace Industrials
5 wins
CAT Caterpillar Inc
$553.47 -35.9% 1M -2.8% 1Y
Market cap
$253.27B
P/E
21.5x
Revenue (TTM)
$77.77B
Div. yield
1.13%
Heavy Equipment Industrials
3 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Howmet Aerospace leads on 5 of the 12 questions below (Howmet Aerospace 5, American Superconductor 4, Caterpillar 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionAMSCHWMCATLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $1.16B $79.96B $253.27B CAT
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 8.6x 38.9x 21.5x AMSC
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 26.6x 37.7x 21.5x CAT
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +31.1% +22.0% +20.3% AMSC
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 38.6% 21.1% 15.2% AMSC
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — 21.5% 16.8% HWM
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — 1.4x 2.2x HWM
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield — 0.25% 1.13% CAT
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -59.6% -2.6% -2.8% HWM
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +6.3%/yr +43.2%/yr +21.9%/yr HWM
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 85.5% 37.2% 41.1% HWM
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 85/100 72/100 57/100 AMSC

Percentile Scorecard

AMSCHWMCAT

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisAMSCHWMCAT
Valuation 84 #11 of 63 39 #62 of 101 37 #129 of 204
Growth 98 #2 of 60 90 #11 of 98 73 #52 of 191
Profitability 82 #11 of 57 99 #2 of 97 92 #16 of 189
Financial Health 78 #17 of 72 47 #57 of 107 19 #180 of 221
Shareholder Returns – 87 #9 of 64 64 #58 of 159
Overall 85 72 57
  • AMSC ranked among 72 companies in Clean Energy Equipment
  • HWM ranked among 108 companies in Aerospace and Defense
  • CAT ranked among 223 companies in Machinery

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodAMSCHWMCATSPY
1 month -24.7%-13.3%-35.9% -5.9%
3 months -27.1%-30.6%-35.4% -4.6%
6 months -54.9%-26.3%-38.2% +0.2%
Year to date -16.7%-2.0%-3.4% +7.5%
1 year -59.6%-2.6%-2.8% +8.2%
3 years +209.4%+312.3%+132.3% +68.3%
3 years, per year +45.8%+60.4%+32.5% +19.0%
5 years +35.9%+501.5%+168.8% +56.5%
5 years, per year +6.3%+43.2%+21.9% +9.4%
10 years +236.8%+1,381.6%+572.4% +251.5%
10 years, per year +12.9%+30.9%+21.0% +13.4%

Risk

MeasureAMSCHWMCATSPY
Volatility, 1Y 85.5%37.2%41.1% 13.6%
Downside volatility, 1Y 98.0%38.1%44.3% 14.2%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 3.151.061.77 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.70-0.07-0.07 0.60
Max drawdown, 5Y -82.0%-36.5%-48.0% -25.4%
From 52-week high -59.6%-31.4%-48.0% -5.9%
52-week high $59.42$292.71$1,064.90 $779.14
52-week low $23.98$185.88$546.13 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleAMSCHWMCAT
P/E now vs peer median 8.6xmedian 25.0x 38.9xmedian 24.7x 21.5xmedian 23.4x
P/S now vs peer median 3.3xmedian 2.3x 8.2xmedian 2.6x 3.3xmedian 1.7x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 35.1xmedian 18.3x 27.6xmedian 14.2x 17.4xmedian 13.4x
P/FCF now vs peer median 68.9xmedian 28.3x 41.4xmedian 26.3x 26.3xmedian 21.9x
P/B now vs peer median 2.0xmedian 1.8x 13.9xmedian 2.4x 11.8xmedian 2.1x
PEG now vs peer median 0.16median 0.65 0.79median 0.89 1.65median 1.02

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsAMSCHWMCAT
Revenue $349.05M $9.73B $77.77B
Gross profit $97.71M $3.56B $27.05B
Operating income $18.03M $2.73B $14.25B
Net income $134.82M $2.05B $11.83B
Free cash flow – $1.93B $9.62B
R&D $15.41M $38.00M $2.31B
EPS (diluted) $2.87 $5.13 $25.67
Cash & equivalents $169.92M $507.00M $7.93B
Total debt – $4.83B $45.20B
Shares (diluted) 47.03M 400.00M 460.90M
Enterprise value $566.82M $75.71B $224.57B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricAMSCHWMCAT
P/E 8.6x 38.9x 21.5x
P/FCF 68.9x 41.4x 26.3x
P/Operating cash flow – 33.3x 17.9x
P/S 3.3x 8.2x 3.3x
P/B 2.0x 13.9x 11.8x
P/Tangible book 2.0x 16.3x 12.0x
EV/EBITDA 35.1x 27.6x 17.4x
EV/EBIT 55.0x 30.9x 20.4x
EV/Revenue 2.8x 8.7x 3.7x
EV/FCF – 43.7x 30.2x
EV/Operating cash flow – 35.1x 20.5x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.16 0.79 1.65

Growth

14 metrics
MetricAMSCHWMCAT
Revenue growth (1Y) 31.1% 22.0% 20.3%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 42.8% 14.9% 5.3%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 23.8% 33.7% 18.1%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 72.0% 26.3% 5.2%
Operating income growth (1Y) 55.7% 36.4% 24.9%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 40.3% 35.5% 7.4%
Net income growth (1Y) 790.3% 41.6% 27.6%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 65.9% 47.5% 9.1%
EPS growth (1Y) 736.8% 43.6% 30.3%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 52.9% 49.5% 13.0%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) – 40.3% 22.9%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) – 38.8% 6.9%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) – 50.9% 27.2%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) – 41.0% 3.5%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricAMSCHWMCAT
Gross margin 28.0% 36.6% 34.8%
EBITDA margin 8.1% 31.4% 21.4%
Operating margin 5.2% 28.1% 18.3%
Pretax margin 6.3% 25.8% 19.3%
Net margin 38.6% 21.1% 15.2%
FCF margin – 19.8% 12.4%
Operating cash flow margin – 24.7% 18.2%
Return on equity 23.3% 35.7% 57.9%
Return on assets 17.5% 15.5% 11.3%
Return on invested capital – 21.5% 16.8%
Return on capital employed 2.9% 24.7% 22.3%
Asset turnover 0.5x 0.7x 0.7x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) – 1.2x 1.2x
Stock comp / revenue 6.0% 1.0% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricAMSCHWMCAT
Debt / assets – 36.4% 42.3%
Debt / equity – 0.8x 2.1x
Net debt / EBITDA – 1.4x 2.2x
Debt / FCF – 2.5x 4.7x
Liabilities / assets 24.9% 56.6% 79.9%
Equity / assets 75.1% 43.4% 20.1%
Interest coverage – – 7.2x
Current ratio 2.4x 1.9x 1.4x
Quick ratio 1.7x 0.7x 0.5x
Cash ratio 1.1x 0.2x 0.2x
Altman Z-score 2.82 8.56 4.10

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricAMSCHWMCAT
Dividend yield – 0.2% 1.1%
Net buyback yield – 1.6% 3.2%
Shareholder yield – 1.9% 4.4%
Payout ratio (earnings) – 9.9% 24.1%
Payout ratio (FCF) – 10.5% 29.7%
Dividend growth (1Y) – 23.8% 4.8%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – 43.3% 4.2%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusAMSCHWMCAT
Forward P/E 26.6xFY2026 37.7xFY2026 21.5xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $0.90FY2026 $5.33FY2026 $25.73FY2026
EPS growth, next FY -75.0%FY2026 +41.4%FY2026 +35.0%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +40.0% +30.6% +30.7%
Revenue, next fiscal year $383.43MFY2026 $10.55BFY2026 $83.62BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +28.2%FY2026 +27.9%FY2026 +23.7%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +15.7% +15.3% +1.8%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersAMSCHWMCAT
Held by institutions 73.7% 91.0% 72.3%
Institutions holding 278 1,602 4,063
Change in shares held, QoQ +6.4% +0.7% +0.6%
Institutions buying 172 908 1,892
Institutions selling 77 485 1,597
Buyers to sellers 2.23 1.87 1.18

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

AMSCHWMCAT
AMSC 1.00 0.25 0.60
HWM 0.25 1.00 0.40
CAT 0.60 0.40 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, AMSC, HWM and CAT?

Caterpillar (CAT) is the largest by market capitalisation: American Superconductor (AMSC) $1.16B, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) $79.96B, Caterpillar (CAT) $253.27B.

Which stock is cheaper, AMSC, HWM and CAT?

American Superconductor (AMSC) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (American Superconductor (AMSC) 8.6x, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 38.9x, Caterpillar (CAT) 21.5x). On next year's consensus earnings, Caterpillar (CAT) is cheapest (American Superconductor (AMSC) 26.6x, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 37.7x, Caterpillar (CAT) 21.5x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

American Superconductor (AMSC) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: American Superconductor (AMSC) +31.1%, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) +22.0%, Caterpillar (CAT) +20.3%.

Which company is more profitable?

American Superconductor (AMSC) has the highest net margin (American Superconductor (AMSC) 38.6%, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 21.1%, Caterpillar (CAT) 15.2%). On return on invested capital, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) leads (Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 21.5%, Caterpillar (CAT) 16.8%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Howmet Aerospace (HWM) returned the most: American Superconductor (AMSC) -59.6%, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) -2.6%, Caterpillar (CAT) -2.8%. Over five years, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) compounded fastest (American Superconductor (AMSC) +6.3%/yr, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) +43.2%/yr, Caterpillar (CAT) +21.9%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Caterpillar (CAT) has the highest dividend yield: Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 0.25%, Caterpillar (CAT) 1.13%. American Superconductor (AMSC) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) has been the steadiest (American Superconductor (AMSC) 85.5%, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 37.2%, Caterpillar (CAT) 41.1%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, AMSC, HWM and CAT?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) leads on 5. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.