Compare StocksCAT vs NEE

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) vs NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE)

CAT
Caterpillar Inc.
$688.65
VS
NEE
NextEra Energy, Inc.
$92.41

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.
NEE
  • Gross margin of 62.3% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.

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 36.6x is 83% above the historical average of 20.0x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
  • High leverage (2.07x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
NEE
  • NextEra Energy, Inc. scores only 24/100 on the Economic Moat Score, suggesting limited durable competitive advantages.
  • Each dollar of retained earnings has produced only $0.13 of market value — shareholders may have been better served by dividends.
  • Net debt/EBITDA of 6.7x indicates heavy leverage — it would take over 4 years of EBITDA to pay off net debt.

Key Valuation Metrics

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CAT
NEE
Valuation
$5.84B
Free Cash Flow
$-15.21B
1.81%
FCF Yield
-7.90%
36.63
Trailing P/E
28.00
24.87
Forward P/E
21.10
Quality & Moat
13.09%
ROIC
3.23%
41.67%
ROE
10.28%
28.79%
Gross Margin
62.27%
N/A
PEG Ratio
1.08
Balance Sheet Safety
2.07
Debt / Equity
1.46
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
2.49
Net Debt / EBITDA
6.68
0.88%
Dividend Yield
2.70%
CAT: 5Ties: 1NEE: 5
CATNEE

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.

NEE

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
NEE
$0.13
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Value Destroyer
Σ Retained
$8.39B
Δ Market Cap
+$1.11B
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
14.7% Margin of Safety
Price is 14.7% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $688.65
Fair Value: $807.79
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
NEE
200.2% Overvalued
Price is 200.2% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $92.41
Fair Value: $30.78
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 $689?

+17.2%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +23.0%

The market implies +17.2% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +23.0%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

NEE

Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.

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.
NEE
24/100
No Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

No durable moat detected, though margin stability shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.

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.
NEE
-2.48
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 72.6%Retail & Other 27.1%
No. of Institutional Holders4,271
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.
NEE
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 84.7%Retail & Other 15.2%
No. of Institutional Holders3,718
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)
3
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $322,768
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
MACLENNAN DAVID W
Director
$168,695
@ $337.39 · 2024-05-03
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
NEE
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
14
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
FASSINO ANTHONY D.
Officer
$4.36M
@ $722.15 · 2026-02-06
DE LANGE BOB
Officer
$16.31M
@ $720.11 · 2026-02-06
DE LANGE BOB
Officer
$11.33M
@ $704.97 · 2026-02-04
FASSINO ANTHONY D.
Officer
$7.26M
@ $680.45 · 2026-02-02
JOHNSON DENISE C.
Officer
$26.66M
@ $681.08 · 2026-02-02
DE LANGE BOB
Officer
$10.91M
@ $682.99 · 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
SCHAUPP WILLIAM E
Officer
$686,664
@ $572.22 · 2025-11-05
DE LANGE BOB
Officer
$8.23M
@ $562.36 · 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
FASSINO ANTHONY D.
President
$2.26M
@ $409.84 · 2024-11-06
DICKINSON DANIEL M
Director
$543,400
@ $418.00 · 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
NEE
9
Sells (3M)
20
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $36.59M
DAGGS NICOLE J
Officer
$458,862
@ $93.00 · 2026-03-13
MAY JAMES MICHAEL
Officer and Treasurer
$646,423
@ $90.27 · 2026-03-09
LEMASNEY MARK
Officer
$347,088
@ $90.27 · 2026-03-09
CREWS TERRELL KIRK II
Officer
$1.78M
@ $90.27 · 2026-03-09
REAGAN RONALD R
Officer
$482,505
@ $95.00 · 2026-02-17
KETCHUM JOHN W.
Chief Executive Officer
$8.90M
@ $89.34 · 2026-02-09
SIEVING CHARLES E
Officer
$2.70M
@ $90.00 · 2026-02-04
REAGAN RONALD R
Officer
$1.68M
@ $90.00 · 2026-02-04
REAGAN RONALD R
Officer
$920,210
@ $85.00 · 2026-01-22
REAGAN RONALD R
Officer
$985,481
@ $81.25 · 2025-12-11
PIMENTEL ARMANDO JR.
Director
$12.18M
@ $83.91 · 2025-11-17
SIEVING CHARLES E
Officer
$906,880
@ $80.00 · 2025-10-03
LEMASNEY MARK
Officer
$62,943
@ $77.90 · 2025-10-01
LEMASNEY MARK
Officer
$63,365
@ $74.90 · 2025-09-25
LEMASNEY MARK
Officer
$60,827
@ $71.90 · 2025-09-12
DUNNE MICHAEL
Chief Financial Officer
$707,900
@ $70.79 · 2025-09-08
COFFEY ROBERT
Officer
$538,800
@ $71.84 · 2025-07-28
MAY JAMES MICHAEL
Officer and Treasurer
$168,718
@ $77.50 · 2025-07-22
SIEVING CHARLES E
Officer
$1.35M
@ $75.00 · 2025-05-16
SIEVING CHARLES E
Officer
$1.66M
@ $70.00 · 2025-05-09
MAY JAMES MICHAEL
Officer
$162,258
@ $68.09 · 2025-02-18
DAGGS NICOLE J
Officer
$302,809
@ $75.57 · 2024-11-12
SIEVING CHARLES E
Officer
$3.19M
@ $85.00 · 2024-09-16
PIMENTEL ARMANDO JR.
Officer of Subsidiary Company
$7.95M
@ $80.00 · 2024-08-26
SIEVING CHARLES E
Officer
$4.06M
@ $78.55 · 2024-05-31
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
😐Neutral(54/100)

"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.
NEE
FearGreed
😏Greed(63/100)

"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.

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: Neutral (54)
NEE
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 (63)
View CAT Full AnalysisView NEE Full Analysis
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) vs NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) Stock Comparison | SafetyMargin.io