CAT’s worst drop since 1999 was 73%
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) fell 73% from Jul 2007 to Mar 2009. It took 3.2 years from that peak to close at a new high, in Sep 2010. Over the same years the S&P 500 fell as much as 55%.
That drop ranks 488th deepest among the 986 stocks PortfolioAutopsy tracks.
Drawdown from the last high, 1999 to now
How CAT held up in each crash
| Crash | Years | CAT | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-com bust | 2000–02 | −42.6% | −47.5% |
| Financial crisis | 2007–09 | −73.4% | −55.2% |
| COVID crash | 2020 | −38.6% | −33.7% |
| 2022 rate shock | 2022 | −30.0% | −24.5% |
Each number is the deepest fall from a high inside that window, using daily prices with dividends reinvested.
See how CAT behaves inside your whole mix, with the worst 12 months, loss odds and crash replays. Free, no signup, and the math runs in your browser.
Open CAT in PortfolioAutopsyCheck my whole portfolioQuestions
What was CAT’s maximum drawdown?
CAT’s deepest fall since 1999 was 73.4%, from its high on July 19, 2007 to its low on March 2, 2009. The figure uses daily prices with dividends reinvested.
How long did CAT take to recover?
3.2 years. CAT first closed above its Jul 2007 high again on September 24, 2010.
Was CAT riskier than the S&P 500?
Over the same years, CAT’s worst drop was 73.4% against 55.2% for the S&P 500 (SPY), and its worst 12 months were −68.4% against −47.4%.
Compare with
Daily adjusted closes from Yahoo Finance, January 5, 1999 through October 13, 2026, dividends reinvested. Historical facts, not a forecast and not investment advice.