Caterpillar CAT Operating margin
Operating margin at other companies
Other financials
Where this comes from
Calculated from Caterpillar’s reported figures.
Based on trailing twelve months.
The official record: Caterpillar’s 10-Q, filed May 6, 2026, on SEC EDGAR. View the filing →
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Questions, answered.
- What is Caterpillar's operating margin?
- Caterpillar (CAT) reported operating margin of 16.5% in Q1 2026.
- How has Caterpillar's operating margin changed year-over-year?
- Caterpillar's operating margin decreased by 14.1% year-over-year, from 19.2% to 16.5%.
- What is the long-term trend for Caterpillar's operating margin?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Caterpillar's operating margin has grown at a 8.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from 51.8% to 71.6%.
- What does operating margin mean?
- The profit left from core operations for every dollar of sales, before interest and taxes.
- How do you interpret operating margin?
- Expanding operating margin shows operating leverage — revenue growing faster than the cost base. Compression points to rising overhead, pricing pressure, or investment ahead of revenue.
- How does operating margin compare across companies?
- Strong cross-company signal within a sector. Capital-light businesses sustain higher operating margins than capital-intensive ones.