Erste Group Bank Weighs in on Caterpillar FY2026 Earnings

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) – Erste Group Bank increased their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for Caterpillar in a report released on Thursday, June 25th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings of $24.44 per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of $24.38. The consensus estimate for Caterpillar’s current full-year earnings is $24.66 per share.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The company had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.25 earnings per share. Caterpillar’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Truist Financial set a $1,043.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Wall Street Zen raised Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $900.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $941.45.

Caterpillar Price Performance

NYSE:CAT opened at $1,063.84 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.81. Caterpillar has a one year low of $384.25 and a one year high of $1,073.46. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $908.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $762.47. The stock has a market cap of $489.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.95, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.59.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This is an increase from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is presently 30.06%.

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other news, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $922.92, for a total value of $22,354,968.24. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 86,029 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,397,884.68. This represents a 21.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Jason Kaiser sold 5,642 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $883.03, for a total value of $4,982,055.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,594 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,471,789.82. The trade was a 37.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 22,420 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $12,844,000 after buying an additional 604 shares in the last quarter. Juno Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth approximately $877,000. ARK Investment Management LLC grew its position in Caterpillar by 11.7% during the 3rd quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 31,144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $14,860,000 after acquiring an additional 3,268 shares during the last quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC grew its position in Caterpillar by 19.1% during the 3rd quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 116,589 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $55,630,000 after acquiring an additional 18,676 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar during the 4th quarter valued at $4,517,000. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q3 EPS estimate for Caterpillar, reinforcing expectations that the company can keep delivering strong earnings momentum. Q3 EPS Estimates for Caterpillar Raised by Zacks Research
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary has highlighted Caterpillar as a beneficiary of the AI infrastructure buildout, helping push the stock’s valuation higher as investors look for industrial winners tied to data-center and power demand. Caterpillar (CAT) Hits Unprecedented Valuation Amid AI Infrastructure Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage and analyst discussion have continued to frame CAT as a durable industrial name with solid dividend characteristics and attractive long-term demand trends. The Big 3: CAT, SPCX, JPM
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry roundups note that construction and mining equipment stocks are facing sector headwinds overall, but Caterpillar is still viewed as one of the stronger names in the group. 3 Construction & Mining Equipment Stocks Braving Industry Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Michael Burry disclosed that he is shorting Caterpillar for the first time, a bearish signal that could pressure sentiment by suggesting he thinks the stock has run too far too fast. Michael Burry says he’s shorting Caterpillar for the first time after it nearly doubled in the AI-driven rally of 2026

About Caterpillar

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.