Caterpillar (CAT) Return on Capital Employed (2009 - 2026)

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 was 19.06% for Q1 2026 at Caterpillar, 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.
• Historically, Return on Capital Employed has averaged 20.44% across 5 years, with a median of 21.31% in 2023.
• The sharpest annual moves came in 2023 and 2025: Return on Capital Employed soared 890 bps in 2023, then tumbled 535 bps in 2025.
• A 5-year view of Return on Capital Employed shows it stood at 15.84% in 2022, then soared by 56 bps to 24.74% in 2023, then decreased by 3 bps to 23.88% in 2024, then slipped by 22 bps to 18.71% in 2025, then increased by 2 bps to 19.06% in 2026.
• The last three Return on Capital Employed figures came in at 19.06% (Q1 2026), 18.71% (Q4 2025), and 20.37% (Q3 2025), per Business Quant data.