Caterpillar (CAT) FCF Payout Ratio (2009 - 2026)
Caterpillar's FCF Payout Ratio was 0.21 in Q2 2026, down 30.1% from 0.31 a year earlier and down 75.1% from the prior quarter.
Caterpillar (CAT) FCF Payout Ratio (2009 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
On a trailing twelve-month basis, Caterpillar's FCF Payout Ratio was 0.31 through Jun 30, 2026, down 10.3% year-over-year; for FY2025, it was 0.37, up 22.9% from FY2024.
- In earlier years, FCF Payout Ratio was 0.30 in FY2024 (+14.6%), 0.26 in FY2023 (-44.6%), 0.47 in FY2022 (-4.3%) and 0.49 in FY2021 (-7.3%).
- The Q2 2026 figure marks the lowest quarterly FCF Payout Ratio since Q4 2023.
- Compared with a year earlier, FCF Payout Ratio was higher in six of the last eight quarters, with growth averaging 34.0%.
- The best year-over-year quarter for FCF Payout Ratio over five years was Q1 2025 (growth of 268.9%); the worst was Q4 2022 (a decline of 68.0%).
- Per Business Quant data, CAT's FCF Payout Ratio in the three quarters before Q2 2026 was 0.86 (Q1 2026), 0.31 (Q4 2025) and 0.27 (Q3 2025).
Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | FCF Cover (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caterpillar | 282.34 Bn | 282.34 Bn | - | - |
| 2 | Amphenol | 196.37 Bn | 189.89 Bn | 4.02 Bn | - |
| 3 | Deere | 180.40 Bn | 148.49 Bn | 4.66 Bn | 0.34 |
| 4 | Eaton | 142.03 Bn | 139.22 Bn | 2.86 Bn | - |
| 5 | Parker-Hannifin | 117.42 Bn | 115.55 Bn | 2.25 Bn | - |
| 6 | Emerson Electric | 93.00 Bn | 85.73 Bn | 2.66 Bn | 0.24 |
| 7 | 3M | 92.98 Bn | 74.42 Bn | 2.78 Bn | 1.75 |
| 8 | Vertiv Holdings | 86.47 Bn | 75.32 Bn | 1.64 Bn | - |
| 9 | Illinois Tool Works | 82.63 Bn | 79.31 Bn | 1.91 Bn | 0.54 |
| 10 | Cummins | 69.15 Bn | 65.22 Bn | 2.47 Bn | - |
Historic Data
| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | 0.21 |
| Mar 31, 2026 | 0.86 |
| Dec 31, 2025 | 0.31 |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 0.27 |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 0.31 |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 1.82 |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 0.29 |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 0.24 |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 0.28 |
| Mar 31, 2024 | 0.49 |
| Dec 31, 2023 | 0.21 |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 0.20 |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 0.24 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 0.75 |
| Dec 31, 2022 | 0.31 |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 0.34 |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 0.36 |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 0.96 |
| Sep 30, 2021 | 0.53 |
| Jun 30, 2021 | 0.44 |
Caterpillar FCF Payout Ratio API
Pull this series into your own models, spreadsheets and apps with the Business Quant
Historical Metrics API. The request below matches the chart above — change the
frequency, period or values and it follows. Swap YOUR_API_KEY for your own key.
https://data.businessquant.com/historic?slug=fcf-payout-ratio&ticker=CAT&period=max&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
import requests
url = "https://data.businessquant.com/historic"
params = {"slug": "fcf-payout-ratio", "ticker": "CAT", "period": "max", "api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY"}
data = requests.get(url, params=params).json()
const res = await fetch("https://data.businessquant.com/historic?slug=fcf-payout-ratio&ticker=CAT&period=max&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY");
const data = await res.json();