Q1 EPS Estimates for Caterpillar Lowered by Zacks Research

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Caterpillar in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, May 19th. Zacks Research analyst M. Das now expects that the industrial products company will post earnings of $4.58 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $4.60. The consensus estimate for Caterpillar's current full-year earnings is $19.86 per share.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $4.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.35 by ($0.10). Caterpillar had a net margin of 16.65% and a return on equity of 58.18%. The company had revenue of $14.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $5.60 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 9.8% on a year-over-year basis.

CAT has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Citigroup increased their price target on Caterpillar from $320.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Caterpillar from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $309.00 to $395.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Caterpillar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Baird R W upgraded shares of Caterpillar from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $490.00 to $380.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 14th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $375.33.

Caterpillar Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE CAT traded down $1.56 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $343.63. The company had a trading volume of 1,936,537 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,638,094. Caterpillar has a 1-year low of $267.30 and a 1-year high of $418.50. The company has a market capitalization of $161.86 billion, a PE ratio of 15.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 0.89. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $318.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $352.97.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 21st were issued a dividend of $1.41 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, April 21st. This represents a $5.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.64%. Caterpillar's payout ratio is currently 27.49%.

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other news, Director David Maclennan bought 375 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $320.70 per share, for a total transaction of $120,262.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 6,653 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,133,617.10. This trade represents a 5.97% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Caterpillar

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CAT. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Investment Management Corp VA ADV purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Caterpillar

Caterpillar Inc manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives in worldwide. Its Construction Industries segment offers asphalt pavers, compactors, road reclaimers, forestry machines, cold planers, material handlers, track-type tractors, excavators, telehandlers, motor graders, and pipelayers; compact track, wheel, track-type, backhoe, and skid steer loaders; and related parts and tools.