VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Caterpillar Inc. vs Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Caterpillar Inc.

CAT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$277.7B
Gross margin (TTM)33.9%
Operating margin (TTM)17.7%
Net margin (TTM)14.3%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryAgricultural - Machinery
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-25
Moat score
68/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Caterpillar Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CAT analysis

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.

ODFL · The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Market cap (USD)$33.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
IndustryTrucking
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-02
Moat score
76/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ODFL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. leads (76 / 100 vs 68 / 100 for Caterpillar Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Caterpillar Inc. has 5 segments (40.7% in Energy & Transportation); Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. has 2 segments (99.1% in LTL Services).
  • Moat breadth: Caterpillar Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. has 7 across 2.

Primary market context

Caterpillar Inc.

Energy & Transportation

Market

Off-highway engines, power generation, turbines, locomotives and related services

Geography

Global

Customer

Energy companies, industrial customers, OEMs, rail and marine operators

Role

OEM + aftermarket parts/service

Revenue share

40.7%

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.

LTL Services

Market

North American less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation

Geography

North America (primarily United States)

Customer

B2B shippers

Role

Asset-based LTL carrier (terminal network + pickup & delivery + linehaul)

Revenue share

99.1%

Side-by-side metrics

Caterpillar Inc.
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CAT - New York Stock Exchange
ODFL - The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Market cap (USD)
$277.7B
$33.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
33.9%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
17.7%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
14.3%
n/a
Sector
Industrials
Industrials
Industry
Agricultural - Machinery
Trucking
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Energy & Transportation
LTL Services
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
11%-14% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
68 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network
Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-25
2026-01-02

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Capex Knowhow ScaleSuite Bundling

Caterpillar Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlInstalled Base ConsumablesBrand TrustService Field NetworkDesign In QualificationUnderwriting Risk PoolingEcosystem Complements

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityOperational ExcellenceReputation ReviewsSwitching Costs GeneralProcurement Inertia

Segment mix

Caterpillar Inc. segments

Full profile >

Construction Industries

Oligopoly

35.9%

Resource Industries

Oligopoly

17.5%

Energy & Transportation

Oligopoly

40.7%

Financial Products

Competitive

5.3%

All Other

Competitive

0.6%

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. segments

Full profile >

LTL Services

Oligopoly

99.1%

Other Services (Value-added logistics)

Competitive

0.9%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.