$600.20-0.84% today
- 5Y
- +214.05%
- $10K became
- $31,405
CAT vs SPY
Total return with dividends reinvested · 5Y
CAT
SPY
$754.37-0.36% today
- 5Y
- +72.62%
- $10K became
- $17,262
Return and risk 5Y
| Ticker | $10K became | Total | Per year | Volatility | Worst drop | Off high now | Best year | Worst year | Years up | Corr. with CAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAT | $31,405 | +214.05% | +25.75% | 32.6% | -47.79% | -43.40% | +61.65% 2025 | +18.45% 2022 | 100% | — |
| SPY | $17,262 | +72.62% | +11.55% | 17.3% | -24.49% | -3.17% | +26.73% 2023 | -18.64% 2022 | 75% | 0.57 |
CAT
- $10K became
- $31,405
- Total
- +214.05%
- Per year
- +25.75%
- Volatility
- 32.6%
- Worst drop
- -47.79%
- Off high now
- -43.40%
- Best year
- +61.65% 2025
- Worst year
- +18.45% 2022
SPY
- $10K became
- $17,262
- Total
- +72.62%
- Per year
- +11.55%
- Volatility
- 17.3%
- Worst drop
- -24.49%
- Off high now
- -3.17%
- Best year
- +26.73% 2023
- Worst year
- -18.64% 2022
Per year: compound annual growth rate, needs a year of history. Volatility: yearly spread of daily returns. Best and worst years: full calendar years only.
Drawdown from peak 5Y
0%-25%-50%
2021-112026-11
Correlation of daily returns
CATSPYCAT1.000.57SPY0.571.00
1 moves together, 0 unrelated, negative moves opposite. Lower means more diversification.
Trailing returns up to 5 years
| Ticker | 1Y | 2Y | 3Y | 5Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAT | — | — | — | — |
| SPY | — | — | — | — |
Calendar-year returns best each year in bold
| Year | CAT | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| No full years in this range yet. | ||
More comparisons
About this comparison
Summary, desk note and 6 common questions.
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) total return over 5Y: CAT +214.05%, SPY +72.62%. As of Nov 13, 2026. Research only.
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) closed at $704.0, down 4.89% as of 2026‑10‑22, while the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) finished at $764.0, off 1.18% on the same date. Over the past five years, CAT’s total‑return—including dividends and splits—rose +277.5%, far outpacing SPY’s +79.4% gain in the same window, underscoring the heavy‑equipment maker’s stronger upside despite its current sell signal. Both instruments carry a “Balanced” archetype in the overlay. CAT’s directional signal is SELL with a score of –5, and SPY also registers a SELL signal at –5. The market pulse shows a bearish regime for both, while breadth remains neutral. Readers can open the individual stock pages or review the methodology for full overlay detail.
What does the CAT vs SPY overlay show?
LOPJLB overlays CAT vs SPY as total return (dividends and splits) from the first adjusted close in the selected 5Y window. Each path starts at 0% so you can read relative holding performance, not raw tape price.
Is this holding return or tape close?
Holding return. The series uses split- and dividend-adjusted close (Yahoo-style backward adjustment) when dividend coverage is sufficient, otherwise it falls back to tape close. Candles and technical overlays on /chart stay tape.
Which windows are public?
Public visitors can share 1M, 3M, 6M, YTD, 1Y, and 5Y. MAX is Research+. Direction and regime in the table follow the desk ladder: SPY25 on Free, full book on Essential+.
How do I read the drawdown, period, and annual tables?
Drawdowns are current and worst peak-to-trough on the visible range. Periods are calendar lookbacks (1Y / 2Y / 3Y / 5Y, plus 10Y on MAX) from the last bar. Annual is calendar-year holding return, with the latest year labeled YTD.
How has CAT vs SPY performed on a normalized basis?
CAT vs SPY holding-return overlay: 5Y CAT +214.05% · SPY +72.62%; worst drawdown CAT -47.79% · SPY -24.49%; YTD CAT +1.16% · SPY +11.29%. Numbers update from the live compare-series book.
Is ticker compare investment advice?
No. The overlay is research context only — not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.