Caterpillar (CAT) Return on Capital Employed (2009 - 2026)
Caterpillar (CAT) posted quarterly Return on Capital Employed of 19.06% for Q1 2026, down 350.0% year-over-year from 7.62% in Q1 2025, and up 1.85% quarter-over-quarter from 18.71% in Q4 2025.
Caterpillar (CAT) Return on Capital Employed (2009 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
Caterpillar's Return on Capital Employed history runs 18 years deep, the most recent figure standing at 19.06% for Q1 2026.
- In Q1 2026, Return on Capital Employed fell 350.0% year-over-year to 19.06%; the TTM figure through Mar 2026 stood at 19.06% (down 350.0% YoY), while the FY2025 annual figure was 19.7%, down 392.0% from the prior year.
- Return on Capital Employed for Q1 2026 stood at 19.06%, up from 18.71% in the prior quarter.
- The five-year high for Return on Capital Employed was 27.18% in Q2 2024, with the low at 13.05% in Q1 2022.
- The 5-year median for Return on Capital Employed is 21.31% (2023), against an average of 20.44%.
- The sharpest annual moves came in 2023 and 2025: Return on Capital Employed surged 890 bps in 2023, then slumped 535 bps in 2025.
- Caterpillar's Return on Capital Employed stood at 15.84% in 2022, then surged by 56 bps to 24.74% in 2023, then retreated by 3 bps to 23.88% in 2024, then decreased by 22 bps to 18.71% in 2025, then grew by 2 bps to 19.06% in 2026.
- Business Quant data shows CAT's Return on Capital Employed at 19.06% in Q1 2026, 18.71% in Q4 2025, and 20.37% in Q3 2025.
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Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | ROCE (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caterpillar | 389.45 Bn | 382.74 Bn | 7.76 Bn | 22.08% |
| 2 | Deere | 166.73 Bn | 158.83 Bn | 13.06 Bn | - |
| 3 | Paccar | 69.75 Bn | 61.09 Bn | 1.56 Bn | -45.71% |
| 4 | CNH Industrial | 13.35 Bn | 11.48 Bn | 1.41 Bn | - |
| 5 | Oshkosh | 9.77 Bn | 9.37 Bn | 480.30 Mn | 11.46% |
| 6 | Terex | 7.65 Bn | 7.25 Bn | 444.00 Mn | 4.54% |
| 7 | Agco | 7.25 Bn | 6.68 Bn | 645.90 Mn | 7.62% |
| 8 | Blue Bird | 2.25 Bn | 2.14 Bn | 103.37 Mn | 30.88% |
| 9 | Alamo | 2.08 Bn | 1.88 Bn | 110.86 Mn | 9.87% |
| 10 | Lindsay | 1.20 Bn | 1.04 Bn | 47.83 Mn | 9.38% |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | 22.08% |
| Mar 31, 2026 | 19.06% |
| Dec 31, 2025 | 18.71% |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 20.37% |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 21.83% |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 22.56% |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 23.88% |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 25.26% |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 27.18% |
| Mar 31, 2024 | 25.84% |
| Dec 31, 2023 | 24.74% |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 21.73% |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 21.31% |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 17.23% |
| Dec 31, 2022 | 15.84% |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 15.42% |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 13.42% |
| Mar 31, 2022 | 13.05% |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 13.24% |
| Sep 30, 2021 | 12.03% |