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Side-by-side financial comparison of Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) and Dollar General (DG). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Caterpillar Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($19.1B vs $10.6B, roughly 1.8× Dollar General). Caterpillar Inc. runs the higher net margin — 12.5% vs 2.7%, a 9.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Caterpillar Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (18.0% vs 4.6%). Caterpillar Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($2.7B vs $690.4M). Over the past eight quarters, Caterpillar Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (10.0% CAGR vs 4.3%).

Caterpillar Inc. is an American construction, mining, and other engineering equipment manufacturer. The company is the world's largest manufacturer of construction equipment. In 2018, Caterpillar was ranked number 73 on the Fortune 500 list and number 265 on the Global Fortune 500 list. Caterpillar stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Dollar General Corporation is an American chain of discount stores headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. As of January 8, 2024, Dollar General operated 20,388 stores in the contiguous United States and Mexico.

CAT vs DG — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CAT
CAT
1.8× larger
CAT
$19.1B
$10.6B
DG
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
CAT
CAT
+13.4% gap
CAT
18.0%
4.6%
DG
Higher net margin
CAT
CAT
9.9% more per $
CAT
12.5%
2.7%
DG
More free cash flow
CAT
CAT
$2.0B more FCF
CAT
$2.7B
$690.4M
DG
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
CAT
CAT
Annualised
CAT
10.0%
4.3%
DG

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Revenue
$19.1B
$10.6B
Net Profit
$2.4B
$282.7M
Gross Margin
30.5%
29.9%
Operating Margin
13.9%
4.0%
Net Margin
12.5%
2.7%
Revenue YoY
18.0%
4.6%
Net Profit YoY
-13.9%
43.8%
EPS (diluted)
$5.11
$1.28

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
$19.1B
$10.6B
Q3 25
$17.6B
Q2 25
$16.6B
$10.4B
Q1 25
$14.2B
Q4 24
$16.2B
$10.2B
Q3 24
$16.1B
$10.2B
Q2 24
$16.7B
$9.9B
Q1 24
$15.8B
$9.9B
Net Profit
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
$2.4B
$282.7M
Q3 25
$2.3B
Q2 25
$2.2B
$391.9M
Q1 25
$2.0B
Q4 24
$2.8B
$196.5M
Q3 24
$2.5B
$374.2M
Q2 24
$2.7B
$363.3M
Q1 24
$2.9B
$401.8M
Gross Margin
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
30.5%
29.9%
Q3 25
33.8%
Q2 25
34.8%
31.0%
Q1 25
37.1%
Q4 24
36.3%
28.8%
Q3 24
37.5%
30.0%
Q2 24
39.2%
30.2%
Q1 24
38.8%
29.5%
Operating Margin
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
13.9%
4.0%
Q3 25
17.3%
Q2 25
17.3%
5.5%
Q1 25
18.1%
Q4 24
18.0%
3.2%
Q3 24
19.5%
5.4%
Q2 24
20.9%
5.5%
Q1 24
22.3%
5.9%
Net Margin
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
12.5%
2.7%
Q3 25
13.0%
Q2 25
13.2%
3.8%
Q1 25
14.1%
Q4 24
17.2%
1.9%
Q3 24
15.3%
3.7%
Q2 24
16.1%
3.7%
Q1 24
18.1%
4.1%
EPS (diluted)
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
$5.11
$1.28
Q3 25
$4.88
Q2 25
$4.62
$1.78
Q1 25
$4.20
Q4 24
$5.76
$0.89
Q3 24
$5.06
$1.70
Q2 24
$5.48
$1.65
Q1 24
$5.75
$1.82

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$10.0B
$1.2B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$5.1B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$21.3B
$8.2B
Total Assets
$98.6B
$31.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.63×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
$10.0B
$1.2B
Q3 25
$7.5B
Q2 25
$5.4B
$850.0M
Q1 25
$3.6B
Q4 24
$6.9B
$537.3M
Q3 24
$5.6B
$1.2B
Q2 24
$4.3B
$720.7M
Q1 24
$5.0B
$537.3M
Total Debt
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
$5.1B
Q3 25
Q2 25
$5.7B
Q1 25
Q4 24
$5.7B
Q3 24
$6.2B
Q2 24
$6.2B
Q1 24
$6.2B
Stockholders' Equity
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
$21.3B
$8.2B
Q3 25
$20.7B
Q2 25
$18.7B
$7.7B
Q1 25
$18.1B
Q4 24
$19.5B
$7.3B
Q3 24
$19.4B
$7.3B
Q2 24
$17.1B
$7.0B
Q1 24
$17.6B
$6.7B
Total Assets
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
$98.6B
$31.7B
Q3 25
$93.7B
Q2 25
$90.3B
$31.0B
Q1 25
$85.0B
Q4 24
$87.8B
$31.5B
Q3 24
$86.3B
$31.8B
Q2 24
$83.3B
$31.0B
Q1 24
$83.7B
$30.8B
Debt / Equity
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
0.63×
Q3 25
Q2 25
0.74×
Q1 25
Q4 24
0.78×
Q3 24
0.86×
Q2 24
0.89×
Q1 24
0.92×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$3.6B
$1.0B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$2.7B
$690.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
14.1%
6.5%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
4.7%
2.9%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.50×
3.55×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$8.9B
$2.1B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
$3.6B
$1.0B
Q3 25
$3.7B
Q2 25
$3.1B
$847.2M
Q1 25
$1.3B
Q4 24
$3.4B
$542.4M
Q3 24
$3.6B
$988.9M
Q2 24
$3.0B
$663.8M
Q1 24
$2.1B
$949.8M
Free Cash Flow
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
$2.7B
$690.4M
Q3 25
$3.1B
Q2 25
$2.6B
$556.2M
Q1 25
$579.0M
Q4 24
$2.7B
$201.0M
Q3 24
$3.1B
$635.2M
Q2 24
$2.7B
$321.8M
Q1 24
$1.6B
$490.1M
FCF Margin
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
14.1%
6.5%
Q3 25
17.5%
Q2 25
15.5%
5.3%
Q1 25
4.1%
Q4 24
16.6%
2.0%
Q3 24
19.4%
6.2%
Q2 24
16.1%
3.2%
Q1 24
9.8%
5.0%
Capex Intensity
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
4.7%
2.9%
Q3 25
3.7%
Q2 25
3.3%
2.8%
Q1 25
5.0%
Q4 24
4.3%
3.4%
Q3 24
2.8%
3.5%
Q2 24
2.0%
3.4%
Q1 24
3.2%
4.7%
Cash Conversion
CAT
CAT
DG
DG
Q4 25
1.50×
3.55×
Q3 25
1.63×
Q2 25
1.43×
2.16×
Q1 25
0.64×
Q4 24
1.22×
2.76×
Q3 24
1.45×
2.64×
Q2 24
1.13×
1.83×
Q1 24
0.72×
2.36×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CAT
CAT

Construction Industries$6.9B36%
Resource Industries$3.4B18%
Powergeneration$3.2B17%
Oil And Gas Customer$2.4B13%
Financial Products Segment$1.1B6%
Industrial$967.0M5%
Financial Products$931.0M5%
Related Party$190.0M1%

DG
DG

Consumables$8.8B83%
Seasonal$992.2M9%
Home Products$550.7M5%
Apparel$281.9M3%

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