BW vs FCEL vs CAT Stock Comparison

Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Fuelcell Energy and Caterpillar Prices as of Oct 28, 2026 Peers: Industry group
FCEL Fuelcell Energy Inc
$12.38 -23.3% 1M +62.3% 1Y
Market cap
$989.83M
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$154.14M
Div. yield
–
Fuel Cells Industrials
1 win
CAT Caterpillar Inc
$714.23 -12.9% 1M +36.2% 1Y
Market cap
$328.33B
P/E
30.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$74.73B
Div. yield
0.88%
Heavy Equipment Industrials
7 wins

Head to Head

10 decided of 12

Caterpillar leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (Caterpillar 7, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises 2, Fuelcell Energy 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionBWFCELCATLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $677.78M $989.83M $328.33B CAT
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -19.5x -4.9x 30.3x –
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 32.5x — 27.7x CAT
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +42.6% +1.1% +18.4% BW
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -4.0% -115.7% 14.5% CAT
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 14.3% -20.5% 15.9% CAT
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -2.8x 4.6x 2.5x BW
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield — — 0.88% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +44.0% +62.3% +36.2% FCEL
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -7.8%/yr -44.7%/yr +28.5%/yr CAT
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 114.7% 131.3% 40.5% CAT
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 50/100 37/100 53/100 CAT

Percentile Scorecard

BWFCELCAT

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

AxisBWFCELCAT
Valuation 62 #24 of 61 37 #39 of 61 25 #153 of 203
Growth 70 #18 of 58 32 #40 of 58 70 #58 of 188
Profitability 72 #16 of 55 33 #37 of 55 93 #13 of 184
Financial Health 37 #45 of 71 81 #14 of 71 18 #179 of 217
Shareholder Returns 11 #26 of 29 4 #28 of 29 60 #62 of 153
Overall 50 37 53
  • BW ranked among 71 companies in Clean Energy Equipment
  • FCEL ranked among 71 companies in Clean Energy Equipment
  • CAT ranked among 222 companies in Machinery

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodBWFCELCATSPY
1 month -21.0%-23.3%-12.9% +0.9%
3 months -42.6%-31.5%-8.8% +5.9%
6 months -69.2%-9.2%-11.8% +8.5%
Year to date -28.2%+69.4%+24.7% +13.3%
1 year +44.0%+62.3%+36.2% +12.4%
3 years +93.6%-60.3%+199.4% +88.1%
3 years, per year +24.7%-26.5%+44.2% +23.5%
5 years -33.4%-94.8%+250.1% +68.2%
5 years, per year -7.8%-44.7%+28.5% +11.0%
10 years -97.1%-99.0%+751.5% +263.4%
10 years, per year -29.9%-37.1%+23.9% +13.8%

Risk

MeasureBWFCELCATSPY
Volatility, 1Y 114.7%131.3%40.5% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 103.8%113.7%40.1% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 3.333.741.85 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.380.470.89 0.98
Max drawdown, 5Y -97.4%-98.9%-35.5% -25.4%
From 52-week high -79.2%-65.6%-32.9% -0.9%
52-week high $21.85$36.01$1,064.90 $779.14
52-week low $3.16$6.00$524.47 $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.

MultipleBWFCELCAT
P/E now vs peer median -19.5xmedian 29.4x -4.9xmedian 29.4x 30.3xmedian 25.4x
P/S now vs peer median 0.8xmedian 2.6x 6.4xmedian 2.6x 4.4xmedian 1.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 16.1xmedian 18.4x -2.5xmedian 18.4x 23.7xmedian 14.3x
P/FCF now vs peer median -11.7xmedian 24.4x -9.8xmedian 24.4x 36.5xmedian 21.8x
P/B now vs peer median 11.8xmedian 1.8x 1.0xmedian 1.8x 16.9xmedian 2.2x
PEG now vs peer median -0.79median 1.07 0.05median 1.07 2.33median 1.41

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 monthsBWFCELCAT
Revenue $821.95M $154.14M $74.73B
Gross profit $160.14M -$49.92M $25.66B
Operating income $22.49M -$179.19M $13.09B
Net income -$18.35M -$178.30M $10.84B
Free cash flow -$58.17M -$101.12M $8.99B
R&D – $28.64M $2.27B
EPS (diluted) $-0.21 $-2.53 $23.45
Cash & equivalents $308.63M $658.10M $6.71B
Total debt $209.43M $18.80M $45.15B
Shares (diluted) 154.51M 70.41M 462.50M
Enterprise value $148.75M -$623.58M $300.03B

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
MetricBWFCELCAT
P/E -19.5x -4.9x 30.3x
P/FCF -11.7x -9.8x 36.5x
P/Operating cash flow -19.5x -10.3x 24.2x
P/S 0.8x 6.4x 4.4x
P/B 11.8x 1.0x 16.9x
P/Tangible book 15.4x 1.0x 17.3x
EV/EBITDA 16.1x -2.5x 23.7x
EV/EBIT 25.7x -2.0x 28.0x
EV/Revenue 0.7x 2.3x 4.9x
EV/FCF -9.9x -3.5x 40.8x
EV/Operating cash flow -16.7x -3.6x 27.0x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -0.79 0.05 2.33

Growth

14 metrics
MetricBWFCELCAT
Revenue growth (1Y) 42.6% 1.1% 18.4%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 3.5% 3.2% 4.9%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 20.7% -62.6% 11.7%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -2.8% -27.2% 5.6%
Operating income growth (1Y) 879.4% 12.6% 13.7%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 17.5% -8.0% 7.7%
Net income growth (1Y) 87.7% 11.6% 14.9%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 17.3% -13.9% 9.0%
EPS growth (1Y) 87.1% 69.5% 17.1%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 24.6% -104.7% 13.0%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 72.4% 0.3% 19.3%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -73.7% 13.4% 10.6%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 57.3% 18.9% 16.2%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -120.7% 17.8% 7.4%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricBWFCELCAT
Gross margin 19.5% -32.4% 34.3%
EBITDA margin 4.4% -89.9% 20.7%
Operating margin 2.7% -116.3% 17.5%
Pretax margin -8.8% -115.7% 18.6%
Net margin -4.0% -115.7% 14.5%
FCF margin -7.1% -65.6% 12.0%
Operating cash flow margin -4.2% -62.5% 18.2%
Return on equity – -20.8% 57.0%
Return on assets -8.9% -15.4% 10.9%
Return on invested capital 14.3% -20.5% 15.9%
Return on capital employed 5.9% -16.9% 22.1%
Asset turnover 0.9x 0.1x 0.8x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.9x 0.5x 1.3x
Stock comp / revenue 2.0% 6.4% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricBWFCELCAT
Debt / assets 21.0% 1.4% 44.0%
Debt / equity 3.7x 0.0x 2.3x
Net debt / EBITDA -2.8x 4.6x 2.5x
Debt / FCF -3.6x -0.2x 5.0x
Liabilities / assets 94.3% 25.0% 81.1%
Equity / assets 5.7% 75.0% 18.9%
Interest coverage 0.9x -16.0x 6.8x
Current ratio 1.5x 8.7x 1.4x
Quick ratio 1.1x 7.3x 0.5x
Cash ratio 0.6x 6.8x 0.2x
Altman Z-score -0.88 0.04 4.65

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricBWFCELCAT
Dividend yield – – 0.9%
Net buyback yield -56.7% -59.4% 2.2%
Shareholder yield -56.7% -59.4% 3.1%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – 25.9%
Payout ratio (FCF) – – 31.3%
Dividend growth (1Y) – – 4.2%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – 4.1%

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.

ConsensusBWFCELCAT
Forward P/E 32.5xFY2026 – 27.7xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $0.14FY2026 $-2.70FY2026 $25.79FY2026
EPS growth, next FY – – +35.3%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +221.4% – +31.4%
Revenue, next fiscal year $1.01BFY2026 $153.46MFY2026 $84.12BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +71.1%FY2026 -3.0%FY2026 +24.5%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +35.9% +71.6% +1.5%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersBWFCELCAT
Held by institutions 88.0% 65.0% 72.3%
Institutions holding 200 226 4,058
Change in shares held, QoQ +24.0% +67.3% +0.5%
Institutions buying 146 161 1,889
Institutions selling 41 38 1,595
Buyers to sellers 3.56 4.24 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.

BWFCELCAT
BW 1.00 0.39 0.43
FCEL 0.39 1.00 0.37
CAT 0.43 0.37 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, BW, FCEL and CAT?

Caterpillar (CAT) is the largest by market capitalisation: Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW) $677.78M, Fuelcell Energy (FCEL) $989.83M, Caterpillar (CAT) $328.33B.

Which company is growing faster?

Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW) +42.6%, Fuelcell Energy (FCEL) +1.1%, Caterpillar (CAT) +18.4%.

Which company is more profitable?

Caterpillar (CAT) has the highest net margin (Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW) -4.0%, Fuelcell Energy (FCEL) -115.7%, Caterpillar (CAT) 14.5%). On return on invested capital, Caterpillar (CAT) leads (Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW) 14.3%, Fuelcell Energy (FCEL) -20.5%, Caterpillar (CAT) 15.9%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Fuelcell Energy (FCEL) returned the most: Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW) +44.0%, Fuelcell Energy (FCEL) +62.3%, Caterpillar (CAT) +36.2%. Over five years, Caterpillar (CAT) compounded fastest (Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW) -7.8%/yr, Fuelcell Energy (FCEL) -44.7%/yr, Caterpillar (CAT) +28.5%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Caterpillar (CAT) 0.88%. Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW) and Fuelcell Energy (FCEL) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Caterpillar (CAT) has been the steadiest (Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises (BW) 114.7%, Fuelcell Energy (FCEL) 131.3%, Caterpillar (CAT) 40.5%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, BW, FCEL 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, Caterpillar (CAT) leads on 7. 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.