Stock · Industrials
CAT Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. scores well across yield, structure, and size — a typical strong-safety profile.
Why we rate it 8.8
- Low yield of 0.81% — typical of growth-tilted stocks
- Payout ratio of 26% leaves significant room to grow the dividend or absorb earnings dips
- Current yield is below the 5-year average (1.72%), often a sign that price has appreciated faster than dividend growth
- Mega-cap scale (>$200B) — market dominance reduces dividend pressure
Where CAT ranks
We compute the same 0–10 safety score across 53 dividend-paying stocks and ETFs. Here's where CAT lands inside that universe.
The universe is curated to the most-searched US dividend payers. We'll expand it as the data layer grows; sector percentiles only appear when we have at least 5 comparable peers.
The two questions a safety score doesn't answer
A safety score tells you how durable CAT's payout looks. It does not tell you what you keep after tax, or whether something else does the same job better.
On tax: what you actually pocket depends on whether CAT dividends are qualified — qualified distributions are taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20%, while ordinary ones are taxed at your full marginal rate, a gap that can reach 22 percentage points of the income on the same headline yield.
On substitutes: if CAT's 8.8/10 score is lower than you want, see CAT alternatives — same-sector stocks ranked by how closely they match CAT on both yield and safety, so you can see what a swap actually costs you.
How CAT's safety score has moved
31 daily snapshots over the trailing 31 days · range 8.8–8.8
Every Infnits dividend safety score is computed from the same factors (yield zone, payout ratio, trend vs 5-year average, instrument type, size). The history above is recomputed directly from each day's fundamentals snapshot, so the line reflects how the underlying signals actually moved — not retroactive smoothing.
About Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. provides construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives in the United States and internationally. The Construction Industries segment offers asphalt pavers, cold planers, compactors, forestry machines, material handlers, motor graders, pipelayers, road reclaimers, telehandlers, track-type tractors, and track and wheel excavators; backhoe, compact track, skid steer, track-type, and wheel loaders; and related parts and work tools. Its Resource Industries segment provides electric rope and hydraulic shovels, draglines, rotary drills, hard rock vehicles, mining trucks, wheel loaders, off-highway and articulated trucks, wide-body trucks, wheel tractor scrapers and dozers, and landfill and soil compactors; machinery components, and wear and maintenance components; and technology products and services for fleet management, equipment management analytics, autonomous machine capabilities, safety services, and mining performance solutions. The Energy & Transportation segment offers reciprocating engine powered generator sets; reciprocating engines, drivetrain, and integrated systems and solutions; centrifugal gas compressors and related services; and diesel-electric locomotive components, and other rail-related products. Its Financial Products segment provides operating and finance leases, revolving charge accounts, installment sale contracts, repair/rebuild financing, working capital loans, and wholesale financing; and insurance and risk management products and services. The All Other segment offers parts distribution; logistics and distribution services; electronics and control systems; dealer portfolio management; brand management and marketing strategy; and digital investment services. It also provides mining software solutions. The company was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. Caterpillar Inc. was incorporated in 1925 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas.
How we score dividend safety
The Infnits dividend safety score is a 0–10 rating derived from yield zone, payout ratio (when applicable), yield trend versus 5-year average, instrument type, and company size. Each factor is independently transparent — see the reasons above for exactly which factors contributed to CAT's score.
For the full methodology including the in-app version that uses ETF look-through and historical cut data, see our methodology page.
This is educational, not investment advice. Dividend safety scores reflect a snapshot of public data on the "as of" date shown. Verify current data on the issuer's investor relations page or your brokerage before making decisions.
Frequently asked questions
Is CAT safe?
On dividend safety specifically, Infnits scores CAT 8.8/10 — strong. Caterpillar Inc. scores well across yield, structure, and size — a typical strong-safety profile. That score measures how durable the payout looks based on yield zone, payout ratio, yield trend, and instrument type; it does not measure price risk, valuation, or whether CAT suits your portfolio.
Is CAT's dividend safe?
Based on snapshot data — yield 0.81%, payout ratio 26%, instrument type stock — Infnits rates CAT's dividend safety profile as strong (8.8/10). This is one signal, not a recommendation.
What is CAT's current dividend yield?
CAT has a current dividend yield of 0.81% as of August 31, 2026. Its 5-year average yield is 1.72%.
How is CAT's safety score calculated?
The score combines yield zone (yields above 7% historically carry elevated cut risk), payout ratio (lower is safer), trend vs. 5-year average yield, instrument type (ETFs are inherently more diversified), and size (larger companies have more stable cash flows). Each factor is scored 0-2.5 and summed to a 0-10 result.
Where does this data come from?
Fundamentals are sourced from public market data and refreshed regularly. The "as of" date on each page reflects the snapshot used for the score. For real-time data, check the issuer's investor relations page or your brokerage.
Should I buy CAT based on this score?
No — this is an educational score based on a handful of public signals, not investment advice. Use it as one input among many. For a portfolio-aware analysis with ETF look-through and personalized insights, install the Infnits app.
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CAT head-to-head comparisons
See CAT compared side-by-side with the most-searched peer tickers — yield, safety, growth trend, expense ratio, and tax treatment.
More CAT analysis
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See how CAT fits your portfolio
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Or read how safety scoring works.