LEG vs. CAT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (LEG) and Caterpillar Inc. (CAT).

Performance

LEG vs. CAT - Performance Comparison

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

LEG vs. CAT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
LEG Leggett & Platt, Incorporated	-9.74%	17.02%	-61.93%	-13.45%	-17.78%	-3.76%	-9.05%	47.13%	-22.25%	0.58%
CAT Caterpillar Inc.	23.96%	60.30%	24.66%	25.95%	18.60%	15.95%	26.97%	19.51%	-17.56%	75.03%

Fundamentals

EPS LEG : $1.60 CAT : $18.86
PE Ratio LEG : 6.16 CAT : 37.56
PEG Ratio LEG : 1.25 CAT : 2.48
PS Ratio LEG : 0.33 CAT : 4.93
Total Revenue (TTM) LEG : $4.17B CAT : $67.59B
Gross Profit (TTM) LEG : $748.30M CAT : $21.86B
EBITDA (TTM) LEG : $496.10M CAT : $14.51B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LEG achieves a -9.74% return, which is significantly lower than CAT's 23.96% return. Over the past 10 years, LEG has underperformed CAT with an annualized return of -11.45%, while CAT has yielded a comparatively higher 27.85% annualized return.

LEG

• 1D: 2.92%
• 1M: -14.99%
• YTD: -9.74%
• 6M: 12.29%
• 1Y: 27.39%
• 3Y*: -29.74%
• 5Y*: -23.59%
• 10Y*: -11.45%

CAT

• 1D: 6.15%
• 1M: -4.63%
• YTD: 23.96%
• 6M: 49.25%
• 1Y: 117.77%
• 3Y*: 48.13%
• 5Y*: 27.26%
• 10Y*: 27.85%

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

Return for Risk

LEG vs. CAT — Risk / Return Rank

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

LEG

LEG Risk / Return Rank: 62
LEG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
LEG Sortino Ratio Rank: 63
LEG Omega Ratio Rank: 61
LEG Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
LEG Martin Ratio Rank: 64

CAT

CAT Risk / Return Rank: 97
CAT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
CAT Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
CAT Omega Ratio Rank: 96
CAT Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
CAT Martin Ratio Rank: 98

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.

LEG vs. CAT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (LEG) and Caterpillar Inc. (CAT). 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.

	LEG	CAT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.47	3.42	-2.95
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.26	4.04	-2.78
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.16	1.54	-0.39
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.03	6.50	-5.47
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.30	22.99	-20.69
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

LEG vs. CAT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LEG Sharpe Ratio is 0.47, which is lower than the CAT Sharpe Ratio of 3.42. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LEG and CAT, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	LEG	CAT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.47	3.42	-2.95
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.57	0.92	-1.49
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.29	0.92	-1.21
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.20	0.34	-0.14

Correlation

The correlation between LEG and CAT is 0.39, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

LEG vs. CAT - Dividend Comparison

LEG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.02%, more than CAT's 0.84% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
LEG Leggett & Platt, Incorporated	2.02%	1.82%	6.35%	6.95%	5.40%	4.03%	3.61%	3.11%	4.19%	2.98%	2.74%	3.00%
CAT Caterpillar Inc.	0.84%	1.02%	1.49%	1.69%	1.93%	2.07%	2.26%	2.56%	2.58%	1.97%	3.32%	4.33%

Drawdowns

LEG vs. CAT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LEG drawdown since its inception was -86.41%, which is greater than CAT's maximum drawdown of -73.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LEG and CAT.

Drawdown Indicators

	LEG	CAT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-86.41%	-73.43%	-12.98%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-25.55%	-18.14%	-7.41%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-86.41%	-34.05%	-52.36%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-86.41%	-43.36%	-43.05%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-79.13%	-8.59%	-70.54%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-19.35%	-19.79%	+0.44%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	11.42%	5.13%	+6.29%

Volatility

LEG vs. CAT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (LEG) is 9.84%, while Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) has a volatility of 12.02%. This indicates that LEG experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than CAT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	LEG	CAT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.84%	12.02%	-2.18%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	32.94%	26.33%	+6.61%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	58.20%	34.60%	+23.60%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	41.43%	29.76%	+11.67%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	39.13%	30.52%	+8.61%

Financials

LEG vs. CAT - Profitability Comparison

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

LEG - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Leggett & Platt, Incorporated reported a gross profit of 193.70M and revenue of 1.04B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 18.7%.

CAT - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Caterpillar Inc. reported a gross profit of 5.48B and revenue of 19.13B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 28.6%.

LEG - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Leggett & Platt, Incorporated reported an operating income of 65.40M and revenue of 1.04B, resulting in an operating margin of 6.3%.

CAT - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Caterpillar Inc. reported an operating income of 2.66B and revenue of 19.13B, resulting in an operating margin of 13.9%.

LEG - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Leggett & Platt, Incorporated reported a net income of 127.10M and revenue of 1.04B, resulting in a net margin of 12.3%.

CAT - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Caterpillar Inc. reported a net income of 2.40B and revenue of 19.13B, resulting in a net margin of 12.6%.