GE vs CAT Stock Comparison
GE currently leads CAT in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 46 vs 36. The clearest difference is momentum, while CAT has the stronger value profile.
What is the main difference between GE and CAT?
GE leads the current stock comparison as GE Aerospace, with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
GE Aerospace vs Caterpillar Inc.
GE leads
GE leads by 10 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Risk Resilience, having only recently taken the lead back from CAT.
Fragile: 4 of 6 evidence groups support GE, the lead recently changed hands, and its signal state is cleanly positive.
GE Aerospace
Caterpillar Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors GE over CAT, 46 versus 36 as of Oct 21, 2026. GE's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and risk resilience, while CAT holds the stronger value profile. GE also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor GE today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. GE lead: Reversed — CAT led by 5 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; GE now leads by 10.
Compare GE Aerospace and Caterpillar Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare GE and CAT against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum32 vs 8GE +24
- Risk Resilience58 vs 42GE +16
- Quality70 vs 55GE +15
- Value26 vs 38CAT +12
4 of 6 evidence groups favor GE. GE’s edge is concentrated in momentum and risk resilience; CAT keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum -7
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 2 active signals are unchanged.
No factor moved materially.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
GE's lead narrowed by 2 AIQ points in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — GE and CAT both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
GE (GE Aerospace): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and risk resilience.
CAT (Caterpillar Inc.): the counter-case, on value, fundamentals, valuation — but at materially higher volatility, 32.4% against 22.6%.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
GEGE on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
CATCAT on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
CATCAT on the peer-relative Value factor, by 12 points.
Momentum
GEGE on the Momentum factor, by 24 points.
Lower downside
GEGE on Risk Resilience, by 16 points.
Analyst upside
GEGE on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | GE | CAT | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +37% | +34.3% | GE has more room |
| Target dispersion | +25.9% | +47.9% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 10 | 12 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Dividend growth
| Dividend metric | GE | CAT |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y dividend CAGR | 48.51% | 7.23% |
| 2020 regular DPS | $0.199 | $4.120 |
| 2025 regular DPS | $1.440 | $5.840 |
| Years increased | 3 | 5 |
| No cut in window | Yes | Yes |
| Cohort rank | not ranked | #179 |
GE grew its split-adjusted regular dividend faster over 2020–2025 — 48.51% a year against CAT's 7.23%. Neither company reduced its regular dividend in any year of the window.
Yield and payout ratio shown elsewhere on this page are current values, not part of the study window.
Split-adjusted regular dividends per share, 2020–2025, excluding special dividends. Research as of Sep 19, 2026.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor GE. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | GE | 46 vs 36 |
| Fundamentals | CATon balance | revenue growth 7.7% vs 18%; EPS growth 25.3% vs 41.8%; TTM ROE 49% vs 54.1%; gross margin 35.4% vs 33.9%; operating margin 20.8% vs 17.5% — CAT takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | CAT | Value 26 vs 38 |
| Technicals | GE | Price vs 50-day -9.8% vs -8.4%; vs 200-day -6.3% vs -9.9% |
| Risk Resilience | GE | Risk Resilience 58 vs 42 |
| Analyst expectations | GE | Target upside 37% vs 34.3% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of GE and CAT and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 10 points.
- The lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has swung materially session to session. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's signal state is cleanly positive. (supports the conclusion holding)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on GE.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20GE lead: Reversed — CAT led by 5 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; GE now leads by 10.
- Today
- GE +10
- 46 vs 36
- 7 sessions ago
- GE +9
- 45 vs 36
- 30 sessions ago
- CAT +5
- 47 vs 52
- 90 sessions ago
- GE +2
- 53 vs 51
The lead changed hands 5 times in this window, most recently on Oct 8 when GE moved ahead of CAT.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
2 bullish / 0 bearish
Only GE
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only CAT
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (3.71%)
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
Both carry 1 more signal that do not separate them: Golden Cross Active.
CAT is conflicted, so the timing case there is weaker than the score alone suggests.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -1.33%, AIQ -2 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +2.06%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1CAT closes the Momentum gap — currently 24 points behind, the largest single contributor to GE's edge.
- 2CAT's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it.
- 3GE's Golden Cross Active breaks down — it is the strongest rule currently supporting the verdict.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
CAT leads on balance| Metric | GE | CAT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 7.7% | 18% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 25.3% | 41.8% |
| Gross margin | 35.4% | 33.9% |
| Operating margin | 20.8% | 17.5% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 49% | 54.1% |
| Debt to equity | 1.09 | 2.33 |
Performance
GE leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | GE | CAT |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -2.5% | -6.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -6.1% | -10.2% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -12.1% | -18.4% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 4.6% | -8.2% |
| Year to date | -2.6% | 26.6% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 1% | 35.1% |
Technicals
GE has the stronger structure| Metric | GE | CAT |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 35.3 | 28.6 |
| ADX (14) | 22.7 | 22.1 |
| Price vs 50-day | -9.8% | -8.4% |
| Price vs 200-day | -6.3% | -9.9% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 22.6% | 32.4% |
Risk
GE is the more resilient| Metric | GE | CAT |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.22 | 1.8 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.04 | 0.9 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.06 | 1.44 |
| Max drawdown | -21.3% | -31.9% |
| Current drawdown | -21.3% | -31.9% |
| Annualized volatility | 33.2% | 40.2% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -3.6% | -4% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, GE or CAT?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, GE is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 46 against CAT's 36. The edge comes from momentum and risk resilience. CAT is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is GE or CAT the better buy right now?
GE carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor GE over CAT?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. GE leads Momentum by 24 points; GE leads Risk Resilience by 16 points; GE leads Quality by 15 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, GE or CAT?
Analyst price targets imply +37% upside for GE and +34.3% for CAT, so the Street currently favors GE. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, GE or CAT?
CAT is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. CAT on the peer-relative Value factor, by 12 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, GE or CAT?
CAT on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, GE or CAT?
GE on the Momentum factor, by 24 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, GE or CAT?
GE is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. GE on Risk Resilience, by 16 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is GE more profitable than CAT?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 35.4% vs 33.9%; operating margin 20.8% vs 17.5%; ttm roe 49% vs 54.1%. GE leads on two measures and CAT on one measure, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is GE's lead over CAT getting stronger or weaker?
GE lead: Reversed — CAT led by 5 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; GE now leads by 10. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has changed hands 5 times in that window, most recently on 2026-10-08, when GE moved ahead of CAT.
What would change the GE vs CAT verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: CAT closes the Momentum gap — currently 24 points behind, the largest single contributor to GE's edge; CAT's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it; GE's Golden Cross Active breaks down — it is the strongest rule currently supporting the verdict; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about GE and CAT?
GE: 2 bullish / 0 bearish. CAT: 2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on GE is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On CAT it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare GE and CAT with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.