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Asset Utilization RatioAssets AverageDebt RatioDebt to EquityEBIT MarginEBITDA MarginEBT MarginEnterprise ValueEquity AverageEquity RatioFCF MarginFCF Payout RatioGross MarginInterest Coverage RatioInventory AverageInvested CapitalNet MarginOperating MarginReturn on AssetsReturn on Capital EmployedReturn on EquityReturn on Invested CapitalReturn on SalesTimes Interest Earned

Caterpillar (CAT) Return on Capital Employed (2016 - 2026)

Caterpillar's Return on Capital Employed history spans 18 years, with the latest figure at 19.06% for Q1 2026.

  • Quarterly Return on Capital Employed fell 350.0% to 19.06% in Q1 2026 from the year-ago period, while the trailing twelve-month figure was 19.06% through Mar 2026, down 350.0% year-over-year, with the annual reading at 19.7% for FY2025, 392.0% down from the prior year.
  • Return on Capital Employed came in at 19.06% for Q1 2026, up from 18.71% in the prior quarter.
  • In the past five years, Return on Capital Employed ranged from a high of 27.18% in Q2 2024 to a low of 13.05% in Q1 2022.
  • The 5-year median for Return on Capital Employed is 21.31% (2023), against an average of 20.44%.
  • Year-over-year, Return on Capital Employed surged 890bps in 2023 and then plummeted -535bps in 2025.
  • Caterpillar's Return on Capital Employed stood at 15.84% in 2022, then surged by 56bps to 24.74% in 2023, then dropped by -3bps to 23.88% in 2024, then decreased by -22bps to 18.71% in 2025, then grew by 2bps to 19.06% in 2026.
  • Per Business Quant, the three most recent readings for CAT's Return on Capital Employed are 19.06% (Q1 2026), 18.71% (Q4 2025), and 20.37% (Q3 2025).