CAT vs NSC
CAT: Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of heavy machinery, power generation, and energy equipment, serving the global infrastructure, mining, and energy sectors. NSC: Norfolk Southern is a leading Class I freight railroad connecting major eastern U.S. markets to global trade gateways.
Side-by-side fundamentals
| Metric | CAT | NSC | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price as of 2026-08-24 close | $811.02 | $352.98 | |
| Market cap as of 2026-08-24 | $372.8B | $79.3B | |
| P/E as of 2026-08-24 | 34.89 | 30.11 | NSC lower |
| PEG as of 2026-08-24 | 1.83 | 4.81 | CAT lower |
| Net margin as of 2026-08-24 | +14.5% | +21.0% | NSC higher |
| Gross margin as of 2026-08-24 | +34.7% | +48.5% | NSC higher |
| Operating margin as of 2026-08-24 | +17.5% | +32.2% | NSC higher |
| ROE as of 2026-08-24 | +54.2% | +16.8% | CAT higher |
| ROA as of 2026-08-24 | +11.1% | +5.9% | CAT higher |
| Debt / equity as of 2026-08-24 | 2.33 | 1.02 | NSC lower |
| Revenue growth (YoY) as of 2026-08-24 | +18.4% | +3.0% | CAT higher |
| Revenue CAGR (3y) SEC XBRL | +4.4% | -1.5% | CAT higher |
| Dividend yield as of 2026-08-24 | +2.1% | +2.5% | NSC higher |
| Dividend streak (yrs) SEC XBRL | 5 | 5 | Tie |
| Beta as of 2026-08-24 | 1.28 | 0.66 | |
| 1-year return as of 2026-08-24 close | +86.2% | +24.0% | CAT higher |
Fundamentals: market data, as of 2026-08-24. Filings: SEC EDGAR. Prices are delayed daily-close data.
Last updated 2026-08-24.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. All figures are delayed daily-close data from SEC EDGAR & market data, shown with their as-of date; "Edge" cells are a pure numeric comparison, not a recommendation.