FY2026 EPS Estimates for Caterpillar Increased by Analyst

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for Caterpillar to $24.26 from $24.00, with FY2027 EPS seen at $29.48. The new forecast is slightly below the current consensus FY2026 estimate of $24.48 per share.
• Analysts remain constructive on the stock, with several firms recently lifting price targets, including HSBC to $1,100 and Robert W. Baird to $1,165. Caterpillar now has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $923.14.
• Recent fundamentals have been strong: Caterpillar reported Q1 EPS of $5.54, beating estimates, on revenue of $17.42 billion, up 22.2% year over year. The company also continues to return cash to shareholders through a quarterly dividend of $1.51 per share.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank upped their FY2026 EPS estimates for Caterpillar in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, May 15th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the industrial products company will earn $24.26 per share for the year, up from their previous forecast of $24.00. The consensus estimate for Caterpillar's current full-year earnings is $24.48 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Caterpillar's FY2027 earnings at $29.48 EPS.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. HSBC upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Truist Financial set a $1,043.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Friday, May 1st. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $1,103.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $940.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $769.00 to $879.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $923.14.

Caterpillar Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE CAT opened at $888.90 on Monday. Caterpillar has a 12-month low of $336.24 and a 12-month high of $931.35. The company has a market capitalization of $409.42 billion, a PE ratio of 44.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The firm's 50-day moving average is $775.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $681.13.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The company had revenue of $17.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.25 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In related news, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total transaction of $11,444,205.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 49,825 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $45,236,615.75. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.80, for a total transaction of $14,928,254.40. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 46,041 shares of the company's stock, valued at $42,210,388.80. This trade represents a 26.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 103,287 shares of company stock valued at $93,259,774. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Caterpillar

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CAT. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Caterpillar by 3,949.8% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,228,058 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,494,568,000 after purchasing an additional 5,098,964 shares during the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Caterpillar by 68,427.2% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,140,603 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,224,992,000 after purchasing an additional 3,136,020 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,225,317,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position in Caterpillar by 1,851.8% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,830,414 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $873,382,000 after purchasing an additional 1,736,631 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in Caterpillar by 573.1% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,504,612 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $861,947,000 after purchasing an additional 1,281,087 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted its price target on Caterpillar to $950 from $700, signaling continued upside potential despite keeping a neutral rating. Rothschild & Co Redburn adjusts price target on Caterpillar to $950 from $700, maintains neutral rating
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer called Caterpillar “a buy,” citing oil and gas exposure, infrastructure spending, and AI data-center power demand as potential tailwinds. Jim Cramer Says Caterpillar Is a Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar said it is hiring 600 workers at its Sanford, North Carolina plant to support compact track loader production, suggesting strong demand and added manufacturing activity. Caterpillar hiring 600 jobs at Sanford plant
• Positive Sentiment: Industry research on Saudi Arabia’s construction equipment market pointed to Caterpillar as a key player in a market expected to grow steadily through 2030, supported by large infrastructure projects. Saudi Arabia Construction Equipment Industry Research 2026-2031 Featuring Caterpillar

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.

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