VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Caterpillar Inc. vs Tesla, 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)$288.6B
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

Tesla, Inc.

TSLA · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$1.5T
Gross margin (TTM)17%
Operating margin (TTM)4.7%
Net margin (TTM)5.5%
SectorConsumer
IndustryAuto - Manufacturers
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-05
Moat score
75/ 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 Tesla, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View TSLA analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Tesla, Inc. leads (75 / 100 vs 68 / 100 for Caterpillar Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Caterpillar Inc. has 5 segments (40.7% in Energy & Transportation); Tesla, Inc. has 3 segments (78.9% in Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Caterpillar Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; Tesla, Inc. has 9 across 3.

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%

Tesla, Inc.

Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)

Market

Battery-electric passenger vehicles (BEV) and connected vehicle software

Geography

United States (market share datapoint); global competition

Customer

Consumers and small fleets

Role

OEM (design, manufacture, direct-to-consumer sales)

Revenue share

78.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Caterpillar Inc.
Tesla, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CAT - New York Stock Exchange
TSLA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$288.6B
$1.5T
Gross margin (TTM)
33.9%
17%
Operating margin (TTM)
17.7%
4.7%
Net margin (TTM)
14.3%
5.5%
Sector
Industrials
Consumer
Industry
Agricultural - Machinery
Auto - Manufacturers
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Energy & Transportation
Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
56.7% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
68 / 100
75 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network
Network, Supply, Demand
Last update
2025-12-25
2026-01-05

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustService Field NetworkCapex Knowhow Scale

Caterpillar Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlInstalled Base ConsumablesDesign In QualificationSuite BundlingUnderwriting Risk PoolingEcosystem Complements

Tesla, Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsPhysical Network DensitySwitching Costs GeneralScope EconomiesData Workflow LockinScale Economies Unit Cost

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%

Tesla, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Automotive (vehicles + software + leasing + regulatory credits)

Competitive

78.9%

Services and Other (Supercharging + after-sales + used vehicles + insurance)

Quasi-Monopoly

10.8%

Energy Generation and Storage (Megapack + Powerwall + solar)

Oligopoly

10.3%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.