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Caterpillar vs IMI: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

IMI holds the cleaner structural position, with profitability as the main driver and valuation adding further support. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Peer scores are normalised within each company's primary universe (CAT: Russell 1000, IMI.L: STOXX 600).

Updated 2026-05-17

Most of the visible separation comes from profitability. IMI plc leads by 13 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.81
Similar
Peer-set rank: #4
within Caterpillar Inc.'s functional peer set

This pair is matched through long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

A solid similarity means the pair shares a clearly comparable long-term financial profile, even if individual dimensions still differ.

The clearest structural overlap shows up in capital structure and revenue stability.

Similarity drivers
capital structurerevenue stability
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
CAT
Caterpillar Inc.
53
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
IMI.L
IMI plc
66
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
Peer basis: STOXX 600

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: CAT vs IMI.L Profitability 41 67 Stability 50 42 Valuation 41 65 Growth 94 90 CAT IMI.L
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +26
#2 Valuation +24
#3 Stability +8
#4 Growth +4
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CAT and IMI.L Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CATIMI.L Relative valuation Structural strength

The two profiles are relatively close, but the price setup still leans toward IMI plc.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Both profiles are strong on profitability, but IMI plc leads clearly.
Valuation
On valuation, the edge is clear — both rank well, but IMI plc sits noticeably higher.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
CAT
41
IMI.L
67
Gap+26in favour of IMI.L

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 4.9-point ROIC advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Caterpillar Inc. still looks less cycle-sensitive — that keeps the result from looking completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability is the clearest driver, and valuation also supports IMI plc's broader structural position.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the CAT vs IMI.L comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

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Similar profitability-and-valuation comparisons

Explore how CAT and IMI.L each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.