Compare StocksCAT vs MA

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) vs Mastercard Incorporated (MA)

CAT
Caterpillar Inc.
$874.78
VS
MA
Mastercard Incorporated
$504.74

Rewards

CAT
  • Caterpillar Inc. has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
  • Caterpillar Inc. scores 75/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Free cash flow has grown at a 13.0% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
MA
  • Mastercard Incorporated has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • Gross margin of 100.0% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • Mastercard Incorporated scores 99/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.

Risks

CAT
  • FCF yield of 1.8% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
  • Trailing P/E of 43.5x is 117% above the historical average of 20.0x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
  • High leverage (2.31x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
MA
  • High leverage (2.82x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
  • Insiders have sold $4.5M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.

Key Valuation Metrics

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CAT
MA
Valuation
$7.45B
Free Cash Flow
$16.15B
1.83%
FCF Yield
3.62%
43.50
Trailing P/E
29.19
30.08
Forward P/E
22.19
Quality & Moat
16.12%
ROIC
63.51%
47.61%
ROE
222.67%
28.60%
Gross Margin
100.00%
1.44
PEG Ratio
1.38
Balance Sheet Safety
2.31
Debt / Equity
2.82
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
2.74
Net Debt / EBITDA
0.50
0.68%
Dividend Yield
0.70%
CAT: 1Ties: 3MA: 8
CATMA

Historical Fundamentals

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CAT

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

MA

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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CAT
$6.48
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$22.05B
Δ Market Cap
+$142.85B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
MA
$5.61
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$31.68B
Δ Market Cap
+$177.79B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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CAT
17.7% Overvalued
Price is 17.7% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $874.78
Fair Value: $743.52
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
MA
11.5% Margin of Safety
Price is 11.5% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $504.74
Fair Value: $570.42
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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CAT

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $875?

+20.3%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +22.7%

The market implies +20.3% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +22.7%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

MA

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $505?

+13.4%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +12.4%

The market implies +13.4% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.

Standard FCF implies +12.4%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.

Economic Moat Score

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CAT
75/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
MA
99/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

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CAT
-2.43
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
MA
-2.53
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Ownership Breakdown

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CAT
Insiders 0.2%Institutions 73.7%Retail & Other 26.1%
No. of Institutional Holders4,395
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
MA
Insiders 0.6%Institutions 91.3%Retail & Other 8.1%
No. of Institutional Holders4,775
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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CAT
0
Buys (3M)
2
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $290,920
MACLENNAN DAVID W
Director
$170,658
@ $568.86 · 2025-11-06
MACLENNAN DAVID W
Director
$120,262
@ $320.70 · 2025-05-07
JOHNSON GERALD
Director
$31,848
@ $318.48 · 2025-05-02
JOHNSON GERALD
Director
$36,557
@ $365.57 · 2025-02-04
JOHNSON GERALD
Director
$39,857
@ $398.57 · 2024-12-04
JOHNSON GERALD
Director
$33,859
@ $338.59 · 2024-09-04
JOHNSON GERALD
Director
$35,640
@ $356.40 · 2024-05-20
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
MA
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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CAT
10
Sells (3M)
24
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $156.13M
CREED JOSEPH E
Chief Executive Officer
$1.80M
@ $718.93 · 2026-03-05
SHURMAN RODNEY MICHAEL
Officer
$1.73M
@ $759.61 · 2026-02-23
SHURMAN RODNEY MICHAEL
Officer
$1.35M
@ $763.39 · 2026-02-17
SCHAUPP WILLIAM E
Officer
$742,802
@ $764.20 · 2026-02-17
FASSINO ANTHONY D.
Officer
$6.13M
@ $776.90 · 2026-02-13
KAISER JASON
Officer
$1.31M
@ $776.70 · 2026-02-12
DE LANGE BOB
Officer
$9.59M
@ $767.08 · 2026-02-11
DE LANGE BOB
Officer
$16.31M
@ $720.11 · 2026-02-06
FASSINO ANTHONY D.
Officer
$4.36M
@ $722.15 · 2026-02-06
DE LANGE BOB
Officer
$11.33M
@ $704.97 · 2026-02-04
JOHNSON DENISE C.
Officer
$26.66M
@ $681.08 · 2026-02-02
DE LANGE BOB
Officer
$10.91M
@ $682.99 · 2026-02-02
FASSINO ANTHONY D.
Officer
$7.26M
@ $680.45 · 2026-02-02
BONFIELD ANDREW ROBERT JOHN
Chief Financial Officer
$5.75M
@ $575.06 · 2025-12-31
BONFIELD ANDREW ROBERT JOHN
Chief Financial Officer
$5.71M
@ $571.44 · 2025-12-01
KAISER JASON
Officer
$6.03M
@ $563.60 · 2025-11-11
FASSINO ANTHONY D.
Officer
$4.67M
@ $570.18 · 2025-11-10
DE LANGE BOB
Officer
$8.23M
@ $562.36 · 2025-11-05
SCHAUPP WILLIAM E
Officer
$686,664
@ $572.22 · 2025-11-05
UMPLEBY DONALD JAMES III
Officer
$8.67M
@ $505.29 · 2025-10-10
UMPLEBY DONALD JAMES III
Officer
$7.94M
@ $462.65 · 2025-09-22
UMPLEBY DONALD JAMES III
Officer and Director
$7.09M
@ $412.87 · 2025-09-02
SCHWAB SUSAN C
Director
$952,840
@ $410.00 · 2025-08-15
KAISER JASON
Officer
$902,650
@ $417.70 · 2025-08-11
KAISER JASON
Officer
$860,148
@ $354.70 · 2025-02-18
BONFIELD ANDREW ROBERT JOHN
Chief Financial Officer
$3.80M
@ $380.09 · 2025-01-16
FASSINO ANTHONY D.
President
$2.57M
@ $408.59 · 2024-11-29
BONFIELD ANDREW ROBERT JOHN
Chief Financial Officer
$4.05M
@ $405.36 · 2024-11-25
SCHWAB SUSAN C
Director
$766.00
@ $383.00 · 2024-11-15
DE LANGE BOB
Officer
$5.19M
@ $410.25 · 2024-11-07
DICKINSON DANIEL M
Director
$543,400
@ $418.00 · 2024-11-06
FASSINO ANTHONY D.
President
$2.26M
@ $409.84 · 2024-11-06
JOHNSON CHERYL H
Officer
$1.01M
@ $378.84 · 2024-11-04
SCHAUPP WILLIAM E
Officer
$368,789
@ $380.98 · 2024-11-01
FASSINO ANTHONY D.
Officer
$1.12M
@ $351.36 · 2024-08-30
JOHNSON CHERYL H
Officer
$1.02M
@ $342.48 · 2024-08-22
JOHNSON CHERYL H
Officer
$527,800
@ $350.00 · 2024-07-16
JOHNSON CHERYL H
Officer
$512,720
@ $340.00 · 2024-05-30
DE LANGE BOB
Officer
$7.80M
@ $356.90 · 2024-05-13
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
MA
1
Sells (3M)
18
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $55.77M
LING HAI
Officer
$4.48M
@ $499.20 · 2026-02-24
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$10.20M
@ $591.00 · 2025-09-02
LING HAI
Officer
$2.69M
@ $600.00 · 2025-08-22
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$10.46M
@ $586.89 · 2025-08-19
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$3.83M
@ $566.46 · 2025-08-05
GENACHOWSKI JULIUS
Director
$178,049
@ $570.67 · 2025-07-07
KIRKPATRICK LINDA PISTECCHIA
Officer
$536,480
@ $560.00 · 2025-06-30
SESHADRI RAJEEV
Officer
$601,447
@ $546.77 · 2025-06-27
KIRKPATRICK LINDA PISTECCHIA
Officer
$536,480
@ $560.00 · 2025-06-24
GENACHOWSKI JULIUS
Director
$173,910
@ $561.00 · 2025-06-24
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$5.02M
@ $532.97 · 2025-06-20
SESHADRI RAJEEV
Officer
$508,474
@ $535.80 · 2025-06-20
SESHADRI RAJEEV
Officer
$1.76M
@ $561.78 · 2025-06-16
KIRKPATRICK LINDA PISTECCHIA
Officer
$549,373
@ $572.86 · 2025-06-13
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$5.55M
@ $588.18 · 2025-06-12
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$8.22M
@ $585.05 · 2025-06-05
ARKELL SANDRA A
Officer
$218,223
@ $577.31 · 2025-05-15
ARKELL SANDRA A
Officer
$257,535
@ $572.30 · 2025-05-12
MIEBACH MICHAEL
Chief Executive Officer
$8.68M
@ $550.16 · 2025-03-26
MCLAUGHLIN EDWARD GRUNDE
Officer
$3.81M
@ $534.68 · 2025-03-19
MIEBACH MICHAEL
Chief Executive Officer
$9.78M
@ $553.76 · 2025-03-05
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$6.12M
@ $556.14 · 2025-03-05
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$6.19M
@ $562.72 · 2025-02-26
MIEBACH MICHAEL
Chief Executive Officer
$10.17M
@ $564.95 · 2025-02-18
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$7.97M
@ $565.00 · 2025-02-18
MCLAUGHLIN EDWARD GRUNDE
Officer
$6.18M
@ $564.99 · 2025-02-18
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$2.36M
@ $500.44 · 2024-11-01
MADABHUSHI VENKATA RAJAMANNAR
Officer
$2.30M
@ $491.03 · 2024-09-27
MADABHUSHI VENKATA RAJAMANNAR
Officer
$2.29M
@ $489.86 · 2024-09-20
ARKELL SANDRA A
Officer
$550,000
@ $500.00 · 2024-09-17
MADABHUSHI VENKATA RAJAMANNAR
Officer
$2.31M
@ $493.10 · 2024-09-13
ARKELL SANDRA A
Officer
$528,000
@ $480.00 · 2024-08-29
MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$42.19M
@ $468.80 · 2024-08-22
MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$42.03M
@ $467.02 · 2024-08-21
LING HAI
Officer
$1.36M
@ $470.00 · 2024-08-16
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$3.16M
@ $470.00 · 2024-08-16
SACHIN J. MEHRA
Chief Financial Officer
$6.11M
@ $455.00 · 2024-08-05
LING HAI
Officer
$1.35M
@ $465.46 · 2024-08-01
ARKELL SANDRA A
Officer
$512,006
@ $465.46 · 2024-08-01
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$4.07M
@ $451.06 · 2024-06-20
MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$47.72M
@ $445.98 · 2024-06-17
MURPHY TIMOTHY H
Officer
$2.34M
@ $446.24 · 2024-06-17
MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$49.51M
@ $442.03 · 2024-06-13
SESHADRI RAJEEV
Officer
$3.11M
@ $449.66 · 2024-06-12
MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ASSET MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Beneficial Owner of more than 10% of a Class of Security
$50.61M
@ $447.85 · 2024-06-10
VOSBURG CRAIG
Officer
$4.04M
@ $447.28 · 2024-06-05
SESHADRI RAJEEV
Officer
$3.71M
@ $443.93 · 2024-06-05
MURPHY TIMOTHY H
Officer
$2.31M
@ $441.57 · 2024-06-03
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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CAT
FearGreed
😏Greed(67/100)

"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
MA
FearGreed
😐Neutral(47/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

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CAT
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Greed (67)
MA
Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (47)
View CAT Full AnalysisView MA Full Analysis
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