Head-to-head · free
Caterpillar vs John Deere and Company Inc.
CAT vs DE — return on capital, cash generation, margins and balance sheet side by side.
CAT
6 / 9
measures where CAT leads
DE
3 / 9
measures where DE leads
A simple count of which company scores better on each measure — not a recommendation to buy or sell.
| Measure | CAT · FY2025 | DE · FY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $67.6B | $45.7B |
| Net income | — | $5.0B |
| Revenue growth (yearly, multi-year) | 7.3% | 0.9% |
| Free cash flow | $8.9B | $6.1B |
| Free cash flow margin | 13.2% | 13.4% |
| Net cash / (debt) | — | — |
| ROIC | 13.8% | 7.4% |
| Return on equity | 43.5% | 20.6% |
| Gross margin | 31.8% | 36.5% |
| Operating margin | 16.5% | 18.8% |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 2.49x | 5.22x |
Figures are as reported by each company; latest fiscal year shown.
Where Caterpillar's cash went (FY2025)
- Capital spending
- $2.8B
- Buybacks
- —
- Dividends
- —
- Acquisitions
- —
- Net debt issued / (repaid)
- —
Where John Deere and Company Inc.'s cash went (FY2025)
- Capital spending
- $1.4B
- Buybacks
- —
- Dividends
- —
- Acquisitions
- —
- Net debt issued / (repaid)
- —
Ask which business is stronger
"Which one reinvests at higher returns?" "Who carries more risk in its filings?" Get answers drawn straight from both companies' filings.
Compare them free