On this page we presented the CAT PE Ratio History information for Caterpillar' stock. The average CAT PE ratio history based on using the annualized quarterly earnings result at each measurement period (for the "E" in the PE calculation; and the closing price on earnings date as the "P") is 16.6. Meanwhile, using the trailing twelve month (TTM) quarterly earnings result as our method of calculation the "E" value at each measurement period, the average CAT PE ratio history based on this TTM earnings result method is 17.4.

Let's now compare this CAT PE ratio history result, against the recent PE: when this page was posted on 4/11/2024, the most recent closing price for CAT had been 371.98, and the most recent quarterly earnings result, annualized, was 20.92. Meanwhile, the most recent TTM earnings summed to 21.21. From these numbers, we calculate the recent CAT PE on 4/11/2024 based on annualized quarterly EPS was 17.8. Based on CAT's history, that recent PE is elevated relative to the historical average, with the recent PE 7.2% higher than the historical average PE across our data set for Caterpillar. Looking at the recent CAT PE on 4/11/2024 based on TTM EPS, we calculate the ratio at 17.5. Based on CAT's history, that recent PE is elevated relative to the historical average, with the recent PE 0.6% higher than the historical average PE across our Caterpillar data set with TTM EPS used in the calculation at each period.

Another interesting CAT PE ratio history calculation we look at is to take the median earnings per share of the last four quarters for CAT, and then annualize the resulting value... with that annualized number then being used in the PE calculation. To walk through this math for CAT, we start with the past four EPS numbers and we first sort them from lowest to highest: 4.91, 5.23, 5.52, and 5.55. We then toss out the highest and lowest result, and then take the average of those two middle numbers — 5.23 and 5.52 — which gives us the median of 5.38. Basically the way to think about this 5.38 number is this: for the trailing four earnings reports, 5.38 marks the "middle ground" number where CAT has reported a value higher than 5.38 half the time, and has reported a value lower than 5.38 half the time. Annualizing that median value then gets us to 21.52/share, which we use as the denominator in our next PE calculation. With 371.98 as the numerator (as of 4/11/2024), the calculation is then 371.98 / 21.52 = 17.3 as the CAT PE ratio as of 4/11/2024, based on that annualized median value we calculated.

For self directed investors doing their due diligence on CAT or any other given stock, valuation analysis for CAT can greatly benefit from studying the past earnings and resulting PE ratio history calculations. This type of study can help inform an analysis as to whether the earnings trajectory over time and current versus historical average PE ratios justify the current stock market value.

That's why we bring you HistoricalPERatio.com to make it easy for investors to investigate Caterpillar PE ratio history — or the PE history for any stock in our coverage universe. And in your continued research we hope you will be sure to check out the further links included for next earnings dates and also historical earnings surprises history for CAT. Thanks for visiting, and the next time you need to research CAT PE Ratio History or the PE ratio history for another stock, we hope our site will come to mind as your go-to PE ratio history research resource of choice.