CAT vs. TSLA

Last updated Jun 6, 2026

CAT (Caterpillar Inc.) and TSLA (Tesla, Inc.) are both stocks. CAT operates in Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery (Industrials), while TSLA operates in Auto Manufacturers (Consumer Cyclical). Over the past 10 years, CAT returned 30.90%/yr vs 38.11%/yr for TSLA. At a 0.27 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

CAT vs. TSLA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) and Tesla, Inc. (TSLA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CAT achieves a 58.52% return, which is significantly higher than TSLA's -13.06% return. Over the past 10 years, CAT has underperformed TSLA with an annualized return of 30.90%, while TSLA has yielded a comparatively higher 38.11% annualized return.

CAT

• 1D: -3.85%
• 1M: -2.44%
• YTD: 58.52%
• 6M: 50.56%
• 1Y: 161.94%
• 3Y*: 61.01%
• 5Y*: 32.30%
• 10Y*: 30.90%

TSLA

• 1D: -6.56%
• 1M: -1.94%
• YTD: -13.06%
• 6M: -14.07%
• 1Y: 37.34%
• 3Y*: 20.89%
• 5Y*: 14.38%
• 10Y*: 38.11%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

CAT vs. TSLA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CAT Caterpillar Inc.	58.52%	60.30%	24.66%	25.95%	18.60%	15.95%	26.97%	19.51%	-17.56%	75.03%
TSLA Tesla, Inc.	-13.06%	11.36%	62.52%	101.72%	-65.03%	49.76%	743.44%	25.70%	6.89%	45.70%

Correlation

The correlation between CAT and TSLA is 0.34, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.34
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.31
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.29
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.25
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 30, 2010	0.27

Fundamentals

Market Cap CAT : $421.21B TSLA : $1.38T
EPS CAT : $20.07 TSLA : $1.10
PE Ratio CAT : 45.05 TSLA : 356.15
PEG Ratio CAT : 2.98 TSLA : 43.57
PS Ratio CAT : 6.00 TSLA : 14.10
PB Ratio CAT : 22.57 TSLA : 16.45
Total Revenue (TTM) CAT : $70.76B TSLA : $97.88B
Gross Profit (TTM) CAT : $23.01B TSLA : $18.66B
EBITDA (TTM) CAT : $15.31B TSLA : $10.48B

Return for Risk

CAT vs. TSLA — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CAT

CAT Risk / Return Rank: 98
CAT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
CAT Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
CAT Omega Ratio Rank: 97
CAT Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
CAT Martin Ratio Rank: 98

TSLA

TSLA Risk / Return Rank: 64
TSLA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 68
TSLA Sortino Ratio Rank: 63
TSLA Omega Ratio Rank: 60
TSLA Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
TSLA Martin Ratio Rank: 66

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CAT vs. TSLA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) and Tesla, Inc. (TSLA). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CAT	TSLA	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	4.76	0.84	+3.91
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	5.44	1.39	+4.04
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.69	1.16	+0.53
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	11.74	1.25	+10.49
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	38.98	2.93	+36.05
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CAT vs. TSLA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CAT Sharpe Ratio is 4.76, which is higher than the TSLA Sharpe Ratio of 0.84. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CAT and TSLA, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CAT	TSLA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.76	0.84	+3.91
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.06	0.25	+0.81
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	1.00	0.65	+0.36
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.35	0.72	-0.37

Drawdowns

CAT vs. TSLA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CAT drawdown since its inception was -73.43%, roughly equal to the maximum TSLA drawdown of -73.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CAT and TSLA.

Drawdown Indicators

	CAT	TSLA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-73.43%	-73.63%	+0.20%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.88%	-29.93%	+16.05%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-34.05%	-53.77%	+19.72%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-34.05%	-73.63%	+39.58%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-43.36%	-73.63%	+30.27%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.85%	-20.18%	+16.33%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-19.74%	-22.73%	+2.99%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.17%	12.80%	-8.63%

Volatility

CAT vs. TSLA - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) is 11.26%, while Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) has a volatility of 13.89%. This indicates that CAT experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than TSLA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CAT	TSLA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.26%	13.89%	-2.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	27.35%	27.83%	-0.48%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	34.24%	46.71%	-12.47%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	30.67%	58.87%	-28.20%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	30.88%	59.13%	-28.25%

Dividends

CAT vs. TSLA - Dividend Comparison

CAT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.67%, while TSLA has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CAT Caterpillar Inc.	0.67%	1.02%	1.49%	1.69%	1.93%	2.07%	2.26%	2.56%	2.58%	1.97%	3.32%	4.33%
TSLA Tesla, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

CAT vs. TSLA - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Caterpillar Inc. and Tesla, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

CAT - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Caterpillar Inc. reported a gross profit of 6.11B and revenue of 17.42B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 35.1%.

TSLA - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Tesla, Inc. reported a gross profit of 4.72B and revenue of 22.39B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 21.1%.

CAT - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Caterpillar Inc. reported an operating income of 3.09B and revenue of 17.42B, resulting in an operating margin of 17.7%.

TSLA - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Tesla, Inc. reported an operating income of 941.00M and revenue of 22.39B, resulting in an operating margin of 4.2%.

CAT - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Caterpillar Inc. reported a net income of 2.55B and revenue of 17.42B, resulting in a net margin of 14.6%.

TSLA - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Tesla, Inc. reported a net income of 491.00M and revenue of 22.39B, resulting in a net margin of 2.2%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both CAT and TSLA in my portfolio?

CAT and TSLA have a correlation of 0.34, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, CAT or TSLA?

TSLA has higher volatility (13.89%) compared to CAT (11.26%). In terms of maximum drawdown, CAT dropped -73.43% vs TSLA's -73.63%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CAT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (4.76 vs 0.84), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.