RAIL vs. CAT
RAIL (FreightCar America, Inc.) and CAT (Caterpillar Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Industrials sector — RAIL in Railroads, CAT in Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery. Over the past 10 years, RAIL returned -3.68%/yr vs 33.19%/yr for CAT. At a 0.41 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
RAIL vs. CAT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, RAIL achieves a -16.89% return, which is significantly lower than CAT's 79.21% return. Over the past 10 years, RAIL has underperformed CAT with an annualized return of -3.68%, while CAT has yielded a comparatively higher 33.19% annualized return.
RAIL
- 1D
- -1.29%
- 1M
- 16.90%
- YTD
- -16.89%
- 6M
- 1.77%
- 1Y
- 7.23%
- 3Y*
- 50.48%
- 5Y*
- 9.74%
- 10Y*
- -3.68%
CAT
- 1D
- 3.70%
- 1M
- 16.18%
- YTD
- 79.21%
- 6M
- 76.27%
- 1Y
- 186.63%
- 3Y*
- 65.85%
- 5Y*
- 39.22%
- 10Y*
- 33.19%
RAIL vs. CAT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RAIL FreightCar America, Inc. | -16.89% | 23.55% | 231.85% | -15.63% | -13.28% | 53.11% | 16.43% | -69.06% | -60.83% | 16.26% |
CAT Caterpillar Inc. | 79.21% | 60.30% | 24.66% | 25.95% | 18.60% | 15.95% | 26.97% | 19.51% | -17.56% | 75.03% |
Correlation
The correlation between RAIL and CAT is 0.46, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.46 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.27 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.32 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.32 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 6, 2005 | 0.41 |
The correlation between RAIL and CAT shifts across timeframes, from 0.27 (3 years) to 0.46 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
RAIL:
$326.82M
CAT:
$476.18B
RAIL:
$0.88
CAT:
$20.07
RAIL:
10.41
CAT:
50.93
RAIL:
0.13
CAT:
3.37
RAIL:
0.65
CAT:
6.78
RAIL:
$469.01M
CAT:
$70.76B
RAIL:
$69.61M
CAT:
$23.01B
RAIL:
-$1.50M
CAT:
$15.31B
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Return for Risk
RAIL vs. CAT — Risk / Return Rank
RAIL
CAT
RAIL vs. CAT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FreightCar America, Inc. (RAIL) 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| RAIL | CAT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -5.19 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -5.01 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.08 | 1.73 | -0.65 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.14 | 13.53 | -13.39 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.25 | 44.33 | -44.08 |
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Drawdowns
RAIL vs. CAT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum RAIL drawdown since its inception was -98.88%, which is greater than CAT's maximum drawdown of -73.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RAIL and CAT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| RAIL | CAT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -98.88% | -73.43% | -25.45% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -50.34% | -13.88% | -36.46% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -71.67% | -34.05% | -37.62% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -71.67% | -34.05% | -37.62% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -96.23% | -43.36% | -52.87% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -86.48% | 0.00% | -86.48% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -71.88% | -19.72% | -52.16% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 28.98% | 4.23% | +24.75% |
Volatility
RAIL vs. CAT - Volatility Comparison
FreightCar America, Inc. (RAIL) has a higher volatility of 14.65% compared to Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) at 12.90%. This indicates that RAIL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CAT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| RAIL | CAT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 14.65% | 12.90% | +1.75% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 47.09% | 27.80% | +19.29% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 62.94% | 35.49% | +27.45% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 69.21% | 30.84% | +38.37% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 73.80% | 31.03% | +42.77% |
Dividends
RAIL vs. CAT - Dividend Comparison
RAIL has not paid dividends to shareholders, while CAT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.59%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAT Caterpillar Inc. | 0.59% | 1.02% | 1.49% | 1.69% | 1.93% | 2.07% | 2.26% | 2.56% | 2.58% | 1.97% | 3.32% | 4.33% |
RAIL FreightCar America, Inc. | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 1.58% | 2.41% | 1.85% |
Financials
RAIL vs. CAT - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between FreightCar America, Inc. and Caterpillar Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
RAIL vs. CAT - Profitability Comparison
RAIL - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, FreightCar America, Inc. reported a gross profit of 10.81M and revenue of 64.31M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 16.8%.
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%.
RAIL - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, FreightCar America, Inc. reported an operating income of -594.00K and revenue of 64.31M, resulting in an operating margin of -0.9%.
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%.
RAIL - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, FreightCar America, Inc. reported a net income of 41.65M and revenue of 64.31M, resulting in a net margin of 64.8%.
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%.
Frequently Asked Questions
RAIL and CAT have a correlation of 0.46, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
RAIL has higher volatility (14.65%) compared to CAT (12.90%). In terms of maximum drawdown, RAIL dropped -98.88% vs CAT's -73.43%.
CAT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (5.30 vs 0.12), 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.
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