Caterpillar Inc (CAT) — Cash Flow Quality Index
Caterpillar Inc (CAT) has a Cash Flow Quality Index of 1.50x as of December 2025. Operating cash flow of $3.59 Billion exceeds net income of $2.40 Billion, indicating high earnings quality where cash backs reported profits. Explore Caterpillar Inc (CAT) cash conversion ratio to assess how effectively this company generates cash.
Cash Flow Quality Index
Operating Cash Flow
Net Income
Data as of
Caterpillar Inc Cash Flow Quality Index (1989–2025)
Historical Cash Flow Quality Index for Caterpillar Inc across 34 annual periods. Values consistently above 1.0x indicate high-quality earnings. Check CAT capex plus investments ratio to assess the company's total reinvestment commitment from operating cash flow.
Annual Cash Flow Quality Index for Caterpillar Inc (1989–2025)
Year-by-year earnings quality comparison for Caterpillar Inc. For live market cap and the full company financial profile, see Caterpillar Inc market capitalisation.
| Year | Quality Index | Operating CF (USD) | Net Income | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.32x | $11.74 Billion | $8.88 Billion | ▲ +18.5% |
| 2024 | 1.12x | $12.04 Billion | $10.79 Billion | ▼ -10.5% |
| 2023 | 1.25x | $12.88 Billion | $10.33 Billion | ▲ +7.7% |
| 2022 | 1.16x | $7.77 Billion | $6.70 Billion | ▲ +4.5% |
| 2021 | 1.11x | $7.20 Billion | $6.49 Billion | ▼ -47.4% |
| 2020 | 2.11x | $6.33 Billion | $3.00 Billion | ▲ +85.8% |
| 2019 | 1.13x | $6.91 Billion | $6.09 Billion | ▲ +6.3% |
| 2018 | 1.07x | $6.56 Billion | $6.15 Billion | ▼ -85.8% |
| 2017 | 7.52x | $5.71 Billion | $759.00 Million | ▲ +183.1% |
| 2015 | 2.66x | $6.70 Billion | $2.52 Billion | ▼ -18.7% |
| 2014 | 3.26x | $8.06 Billion | $2.47 Billion | ▲ +21.8% |
| 2013 | 2.68x | $10.19 Billion | $3.80 Billion | ▲ +195.8% |
| 2012 | 0.91x | $5.18 Billion | $5.72 Billion | ▼ -35.1% |
| 2011 | 1.40x | $6.96 Billion | $4.98 Billion | ▼ -23.1% |
| 2010 | 1.82x | $5.01 Billion | $2.76 Billion | ▼ -76.9% |
| 2009 | 7.86x | $6.50 Billion | $827.00 Million | ▲ +503.0% |
| 2008 | 1.30x | $4.67 Billion | $3.58 Billion | ▼ -41.4% |
| 2007 | 2.22x | $7.96 Billion | $3.58 Billion | ▲ +35.6% |
| 2006 | 1.64x | $5.80 Billion | $3.54 Billion | ▲ +50.3% |
| 2005 | 1.09x | $3.11 Billion | $2.85 Billion | ▲ +155.6% |
| 2004 | -1.96x | $-3.99 Billion | $2.04 Billion | ▲ +61.6% |
| 2003 | -5.11x | $-5.61 Billion | $1.10 Billion | ▼ -2.8% |
| 2002 | -4.96x | $-3.96 Billion | $798.00 Million | ▼ -301.1% |
| 2001 | 2.47x | $1.99 Billion | $805.00 Million | ▲ +26.2% |
| 2000 | 1.96x | $2.06 Billion | $1.05 Billion | ▼ -28.6% |
| 1999 | 2.74x | $2.59 Billion | $946.00 Million | ▲ +133.0% |
| 1998 | 1.18x | $1.78 Billion | $1.51 Billion | ▼ -6.6% |
| 1997 | 1.26x | $2.10 Billion | $1.67 Billion | ▼ -3.9% |
| 1996 | 1.31x | $1.78 Billion | $1.36 Billion | ▼ -32.1% |
| 1995 | 1.93x | $2.19 Billion | $1.14 Billion | ▲ +4.8% |
| 1994 | 1.84x | $1.76 Billion | $955.00 Million | ▼ -10.8% |
| 1993 | 2.06x | $1.41 Billion | $681.00 Million | ▼ -47.2% |
| 1990 | 3.90x | $820.00 Million | $210.00 Million | ▲ +114.0% |
| 1989 | 1.82x | $907.00 Million | $497.00 Million | — |