Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) vs PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
As of 2026-09-17, CAT is fairly valued at $783, with a DCF intrinsic value of $715 and a margin of safety of -10%. PEP is overvalued at $134, with an intrinsic value of $78 and a margin of safety of -72%. Of the two, CAT has the wider margin of safety.
Rewards
- ★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.
- ★PepsiCo, Inc. has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
- ★PepsiCo, Inc. scores 88/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
- ★Free cash flow has grown at a 11.0% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
Risks
- ⚠FCF yield of 2.1% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
- ⚠Trailing P/E of 33.7x is 68% above the historical average of 20.0x — the stock trades at a premium to its own history.
- ⚠High leverage (2.02x net debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
- ⚠High leverage (1.91x net debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $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
Learn more →Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →What growth rate is the market pricing in at $783?
The market implies +18.7% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +21.1%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $134?
The market implies +12.0% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +12.7%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.
Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Revenue Predictability is the standout factor.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →M-Score Trend
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.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.
Insider Selling Activity
Learn more →Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.
🎭 Mr. Market's Mood
Learn more →"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"
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
Learn more →The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
Frequently Asked Questions: CAT vs PEP
Is Caterpillar Inc. or PepsiCo, Inc. more undervalued in 2026?▼
Based on our discounted cash flow model, CAT trades at a -9.5% margin of safety (intrinsic value $715 vs. price $783), compared to PEP's -71.7% margin of safety (intrinsic $78 vs. $134).
Which stock has a wider economic moat, Caterpillar Inc. or PepsiCo, Inc.?▼
PEP scores 88/100 (Wide moat), while CAT scores 75/100 (Wide moat). The moat score measures competitive advantage durability across ROIC consistency, margin stability, revenue predictability, and reinvestment efficiency.
Which company has better free cash flow, Caterpillar Inc. or PepsiCo, Inc.?▼
PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) generates a 4.3% free cash flow yield, compared to Caterpillar Inc.'s 2.1%. A higher FCF yield means the business converts more of its market value into cash that can be returned to shareholders or reinvested.
Which stock has higher return on invested capital, Caterpillar Inc. or PepsiCo, Inc.?▼
CAT earns 20.3% ROIC versus PEP's 17.1%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.
Which dividend is safer, Caterpillar Inc.'s or PepsiCo, Inc.'s?▼
CAT's dividend earns a safety score of 94/100 (Very Safe), compared to PEP's 34/100 (Unsafe). CAT has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years.