CAT
Caterpillar Inc.
CAT has the edge over ZIP overall, supported by lower modeled downside and stronger modeled upside.
ZIP
ZipRecruiter, Inc.
ZIP offers stronger valuation, but that advantage does not outweigh its weaker overall profile.
CAT Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Healthy | |
| Strong | |
| Strong | |
| Strong |
CAT's revenue, profitability, cash flow and balance sheet are all currently healthy.
ZIP Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Stable | |
| Stable | |
| Healthy | |
| Stable |
ZIP's cash flow is currently healthy, and its revenue, profitability and balance sheet are stable.
CAT PE Valuation
| Level | PE | Price | Vs current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap | 15x | $380 | -37% |
| Fair | 18x | $461 | -24% |
| Forward | 20x | $605 | — |
| Current | 24x | $605 | — |
| Expensive | 33x | $840 | +39% |
Historical ranges are pointers, not guarantees.
CAT's PE is in its expensive range at 24x. If earnings grow as analysts expect, today's price would be 20x next year's earnings, in its fair range.
ZIP PE Valuation
| Level | PE | Price | Vs current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current | 11x | $5.64 | — |
| Cheap | 23x | $11.57 | +105% |
| Fair | 32x | $16.00 | +184% |
| Forward | 75x | $5.64 | — |
| Expensive | 169x | $84.62 | +1400% |
Historical ranges are pointers, not guarantees.
ZIP has the edge over CAT in the historical PE scenario, which offers more potential upside but is not a forecast.
CAT Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| Improving | |
| Strong growth | |
| Growth | |
| Improving | |
| Moderate | |
| Low |
CAT has the edge over ZIP on the outlook, with more favorable valuation and profitability expectations.
ZIP Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| Strongly deteriorating | |
| Returning to profit | |
| Growth | |
| Strongly weakening | |
| Limited | |
| Low |
Analysts expect ZIP to return to profit, with revenue growing. However, they disagree widely on these estimates.
CAT Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $29.73 | +17% |
| Q3 2026 | $25.48 | +31% |
| Q2 2026 | $23.23 | +18% |
| Q1 2026 | $20.08 | -2% |
| Q4 2025 | $18.81 | -15% |
| Q3 2025 | $19.46 | -9.7% |
| Q2 2025 | $19.64 | -10% |
| Q1 2025 | $20.50 | -7.4% |
| Q4 2024 | $22.05 | +9.6% |
CAT has the edge over ZIP on earnings, with more consistent year-over-year improvement.
ZIP Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $0.07 | -85% |
| Q3 2026 | $0.50 | +$0.94 |
| Q2 2026 | $0.33 | +$0.69 |
| Q1 2026 | -$0.30 | -$0.11 |
| Q4 2025 | -$0.37 | -$0.24 |
| Q3 2025 | -$0.44 | -4500% |
| Q2 2025 | -$0.36 | -233% |
| Q1 2025 | -$0.19 | -156% |
| Q4 2024 | -$0.13 | -128% |
ZIP has returned to profit: it earned $0.50 per share over the past year, after losing money the year before. Its recent earnings include one-off gains.
CAT Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $20.7B | +17% |
| Q2 2026 | $20.5B | +24% |
| Q1 2026 | $17.4B | +22% |
| Q4 2025 | $19.1B | +18% |
| Q3 2025 | $17.6B | +9.5% |
| Q2 2025 | $16.6B | -0.7% |
| Q1 2025 | $14.2B | -9.8% |
| Q4 2024 | $16.2B | -5% |
CAT has the edge over ZIP on sales, with more consistent year-over-year improvement.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 20% | +3.1 points |
| Q2 2026 | 21% | +3.6 points |
| Q1 2026 | 18% | -0.4 points |
| Q4 2025 | 14% | -4.1 points |
| Q3 2025 | 17% | -2.2 points |
| Q2 2025 | 17% | -3.6 points |
| Q1 2025 | 18% | -4.2 points |
| Q4 2024 | 18% | -0.3 points |
CAT has the edge over ZIP on profitability, with a higher operating margin.
ZIP Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $124.4M | +8.2% |
| Q2 2026 | $118.1M | +5.2% |
| Q1 2026 | $107.5M | -2.3% |
| Q4 2025 | $111.7M | +0.6% |
| Q3 2025 | $115M | -1.8% |
| Q2 2025 | $112.2M | -9.2% |
| Q1 2025 | $110.1M | -10% |
| Q4 2024 | $111M | -18% |
ZIP's revenue is recovering but still below its 2022 peak: $124M last quarter, up 8.2% from the same quarter a year ago.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 8.7% | +13 points |
| Q2 2026 | 3.5% | +9.4 points |
| Q1 2026 | -1.4% | +9.2 points |
| Q4 2025 | 3.6% | +7.2 points |
| Q3 2025 | -4.4% | -1.6 points |
| Q2 2025 | -5.9% | -14 points |
| Q1 2025 | -11% | -9.9 points |
| Q4 2024 | -3.6% | -13 points |
ZIP's operating margin was 8.7% last quarter, up 13 points from the same quarter a year ago.
CAT Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $3.7B | +19% |
| Q2 2026 | $3.8B | +47% |
| Q1 2026 | $1.1B | +97% |
| Q4 2025 | $2.7B | +0.1% |
| Q3 2025 | $3.1B | -1.5% |
| Q2 2025 | $2.6B | -4.2% |
| Q1 2025 | $579M | -63% |
| Q4 2024 | $2.7B | -22% |
CAT has the edge over ZIP on cash flow, with more consistent year-over-year improvement.
ZIP Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $15.2M | +579% |
| Q2 2026 | $15.2M | +48% |
| Q1 2026 | -$3.6M | +$6.6M |
| Q4 2025 | $7.6M | -37% |
| Q3 2025 | $2.2M | -76% |
| Q2 2025 | $10.2M | -53% |
| Q1 2025 | -$10.2M | -635% |
| Q4 2024 | $12M | -65% |
ZIP still generates free cash flow, though less than at its 2021 peak: $34M over the past year.
CAT Total Shares
| Period | Change % | Net change |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | -0.3% | -1.6M shares |
| 1 year | -2.1% | -9.9M shares |
| 3 years | -10% | -51.7M shares |
| 5 years | -16% | -86.7M shares |
| Available history | -19% | -107M shares |
CAT has 461M diluted shares, down 2.1% from a year ago, with $8.1B in buybacks over the past year.
| Quarter | Spent |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $1.2B |
| Q2 2026 | $1.5B |
| Q1 2026 | $5B |
| Q4 2025 | $340M |
| Q3 2025 | $362M |
| Q2 2025 | $828M |
| Q1 2025 | $3.7B |
| Q4 2024 | $640M |
CAT spent $8.1B buying back its own shares over the past year, up 47% from the year before.
ZIP Total Shares
| Period | Change % | Net change |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | +0.7% | +565K shares |
| 1 year | -8.1% | -7.3M shares |
| 3 years | -21% | -22.2M shares |
| 5 years | -14% | -13.5M shares |
| Available history | -33% | -40.1M shares |
ZIP has the edge over CAT on shareholder dilution, with a more favorable share count trend.
| Quarter | Spent |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $4.5M |
| Q2 2026 | — |
| Q1 2026 | $9.5M |
| Q4 2025 | $8M |
| Q3 2025 | $10M |
| Q2 2025 | $56.6M |
| Q1 2025 | $27.5M |
| Q4 2024 | $2.7M |
ZIP spent $22M buying back its own shares over the past year, down 77% from the year before.
CAT Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -0.5x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2026 | -0.4x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2026 | -0.3x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2025 | 2.0x | Healthy |
| Q3 2025 | -0.6x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2025 | -0.4x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2025 | -0.3x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2024 | 1.6x | Healthy |
CAT has the edge over ZIP on leverage, with a lower net debt burden relative to earnings.
ZIP Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 2.5x | Moderate |
| Q2 2026 | 9.1x | High |
| Q1 2026 | 94.1x | High |
| Q1 2025 | 121.6x | High |
| Q4 2024 | 24.0x | High |
| Q3 2024 | 10.3x | High |
| Q2 2024 | 4.1x | High |
| Q1 2024 | 3.3x | Elevated |
ZIP's net debt is about 2.5 years of its operating earnings (EBITDA), down from more than 20 years a year ago.
CAT Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 32.7 | Neutral |
| Stochastic | 6.7 | Oversold |
CAT's weekly RSI is 33 (neutral) and its Stochastic is 7 (oversold).
ZIP Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 64.2 | Neutral |
| Stochastic | 43.6 | Neutral |
ZIP's weekly RSI is 64 (neutral) and its Stochastic is 44 (neutral).
CAT PE vs Industrials Sector
| Metric | CAT | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 24x | 24x | 1.1% below |
| PE % | 69 | 58 | 11 pts above |
CAT is trading at 24x earnings, in line with the Industrials sector's median of 24x.
ZIP PE vs Industrials Sector
| Metric | ZIP | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 11x | 24x | 53% below |
| PE % | 2 | 61 | 59 pts below |
ZIP has the edge over CAT on valuation relative to its sector.
CAT Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $709.0 | 15% below |
| 20 week MA | $797.0 | 24% below |
| 50 week MA | $771.3 | 22% below |
| 100 week MA | $586.7 | 3.2% above |
| 200 week MA | $443.1 | 37% above |
CAT has pulled back, but its long-term trend is still up: it's below its 8-, 20- and 50-week averages, but 37% above its 200-week average.
ZIP Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $4.24 | 33% above |
| 20 week MA | $4.18 | 35% above |
| 50 week MA | $3.51 | 61% above |
| 100 week MA | $4.46 | 26% above |
| 200 week MA | $8.77 | 36% below |
ZIP has the edge over CAT on trend strength, trading above more of its moving averages.
CAT Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $148.3 | $179.6 | +21% |
| 2021 | $179.6 | $206.2 | +15% |
| 2022 | $206.2 | $239.9 | +16% |
| 2023 | $239.9 | $295.7 | +23% |
| 2024 | $295.7 | $364.9 | +23% |
| 2025 | $364.9 | $583.0 | +60% |
| 2026 YTD | $583.0 | $605.3 | +3.8% |
CAT has finished every year since 2020 higher, and it's up 3.8% so far in 2026.
ZIP Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $21.0 | $24.7 | +18% |
| 2022 | $24.7 | $16.3 | -34% |
| 2023 | $16.3 | $13.9 | -15% |
| 2024 | $13.9 | $7.09 | -49% |
| 2025 | $7.09 | $4.16 | -41% |
| 2026 YTD | $4.16 | $5.64 | +36% |
ZIP has the edge over CAT on returns for 2026, with the stronger performance.