VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Stock Comparison

Caterpillar Inc. vs United Parcel Service, 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)$355.5B
Gross margin (TTM)32.3%
Operating margin (TTM)16.6%
Net margin (TTM)13.1%
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

United Parcel Service, Inc.

UPS · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$99B
Gross margin (TTM)18.1%
Operating margin (TTM)8.9%
Net margin (TTM)6.3%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIntegrated Freight & Logistics
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
72/ 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 United Parcel Service, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View UPS analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: United Parcel Service, Inc. leads (72 / 100 vs 68 / 100 for Caterpillar Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Caterpillar Inc. has 5 segments (40.7% in Energy & Transportation); United Parcel Service, Inc. has 3 segments (66.3% in U.S. Domestic Package).
  • Moat breadth: Caterpillar Inc. has 9 moat types across 4 domains; United Parcel Service, Inc. has 8 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%

United Parcel Service, Inc.

U.S. Domestic Package

Market

U.S. small parcel and time-definite package delivery

Geography

United States

Customer

B2B and B2C shippers (including e-commerce)

Role

Integrated parcel carrier (pickup, sort, linehaul, last-mile)

Revenue share

66.3%

Side-by-side metrics

Caterpillar Inc.
United Parcel Service, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CAT - New York Stock Exchange
UPS - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$355.5B
$99B
Gross margin (TTM)
32.3%
18.1%
Operating margin (TTM)
16.6%
8.9%
Net margin (TTM)
13.1%
6.3%
Sector
Industrials
Industrials
Industry
Agricultural - Machinery
Integrated Freight & Logistics
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Energy & Transportation
U.S. Domestic Package
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
34.3% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
2,639
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
68 / 100
72 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network
Supply, Financial, Demand
Last update
2025-12-25
2025-12-22

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand TrustService Field Network

Caterpillar Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlInstalled Base ConsumablesCapex Knowhow ScaleDesign In QualificationSuite BundlingUnderwriting Risk PoolingEcosystem Complements

United Parcel Service, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityScale Economies Unit CostBenchmark Pricing PowerData Workflow LockinOperational ExcellenceScope Economies

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%

United Parcel Service, Inc. segments

Full profile >

U.S. Domestic Package

Oligopoly

66.3%

International Package

Oligopoly

19.7%

Supply Chain Solutions

Competitive

14%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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

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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.