Q1 EPS Estimates for Caterpillar Increased by Zacks Research

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for Caterpillar in a report issued on Thursday, April 9th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the industrial products company will earn $4.44 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $4.41. The consensus estimate for Caterpillar’s current full-year earnings is $19.86 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Caterpillar’s Q3 2026 earnings at $5.66 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $6.00 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $7.36 EPS.

CAT has been the subject of a number of other reports. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $785.00 to $825.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $640.00 to $790.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $625.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $729.00 to $817.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $747.14.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

CAT opened at $794.16 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $369.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.20, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.52. Caterpillar has a 1-year low of $282.46 and a 1-year high of $798.54. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $730.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $630.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 0.94.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.67 by $0.49. The business had revenue of $19.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 45.76%. The firm’s revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $5.14 earnings per share.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, April 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.09%.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In related news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 972 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $764.20, for a total transaction of $742,802.40. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 824 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $629,700.80. This represents a 54.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 2,278 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $759.61, for a total transaction of $1,730,391.58. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 1,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,096,117.23. This represents a 61.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 125,950 shares of company stock valued at $88,577,390 over the last quarter. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Caterpillar

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in Caterpillar by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the period. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Caterpillar by 47.4% in the 4th quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management reviewed strong Q4 results on the earnings call and reiterated healthy demand and backlog trends that supported the quarter’s revenue and EPS beat — a key driver for the rally. Caterpillar Q4 2024 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target to $905 and maintained a Buy rating, signaling sizable analyst upside vs. current levels and likely supporting buying interest. Citigroup Adjusts Price Target on Caterpillar
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Caterpillar as a beneficiary of the AI/data-center build (generator sales surge) and its Nvidia tie-up is boosting the growth narrative and investor enthusiasm. Those thematic stories are helping push the stock into a buy-range for some investors. Is Caterpillar Actually An AI Stock? Caterpillar Excavates Buy Zone
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets point to Caterpillar’s strong earnings-surprise history and have lifted estimates, which supports expectations for another beat and underpins analyst optimism. Investors Heavily Search Caterpillar Inc. Zacks Research Lifts Earnings Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar held its dividend steady for now; analysts note a growing backlog and cash flow that make a hike plausible in the near term but no increase has been announced yet. CAT Holds Dividend Steady For Now
• Neutral Sentiment: High online search and coverage volumes (Zacks/Yahoo) show elevated investor attention — supportive for liquidity and momentum but not a direct fundamental change. Investors Heavily Search Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Company Profile

Caterpillar Inc is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and locomotives. The company’s product portfolio includes earthmoving machines such as excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders and off?highway trucks, as well as a range of power generation products including generator sets and power systems for industrial and commercial use. Caterpillar serves customers across heavy construction, mining, energy, transportation and related industries with both equipment and integrated technology solutions.

In addition to manufacturing, Caterpillar provides a broad range of aftermarket parts and support services, including maintenance, repair, remanufacturing and fleet management tools.