CAT vs SPOT Comparison

Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Its reporting segments are: construction industries (40% sales/47% operating profit, or OP), resource industries (20% sales/19% OP), and energy & transportation (40% sales/34% OP). Market share approaches 20% across many products. Caterpillar operates a captive finance subsidiary to facilitate sales. The firm has global reach (46% US sales/54% ex-US). Construction skews more domestic, while the other divisions are more geographically diversified. An independent network of 156 dealers operates approximately 2,800 facilities, giving Caterpillar reach into about 190 countries for sales and support services.

Spotify is the leading global music streaming service provider, with nearly 700 million monthly active users and over 250 million paying subscribers, with the latter constituting the firm's premium segment. Most of the firm's revenue and nearly all its gross profit come from the subscribers, who pay a monthly fee to access a music library that consists of most of the most popular songs ever recorded, including all from the major record labels. The firm also sells separate audiobook subscriptions and integrates podcasts within its standard music app. Podcast content is not exclusive and is typically free to access on other platforms. Ad-supported users can access a similar music catalog but cannot customize a similar on-demand experience.