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Caterpillar (CAT) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Caterpillar logo
$813.51 +13.37 (+1.67%)
As of 09/4/2026 03:58 PM Eastern

Caterpillar - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
11
Buy
14

Based on 25 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Caterpillar in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 25 analysts, 11 have given a hold rating, 13 have given a buy rating, and 1 has given a strong buy rating for CAT.

Consensus Price Target

$995.52
22.37% Upside
According to the 25 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Caterpillar, the average price target is $995.52. The highest price target for CAT is $1,225.00, while the lowest price target for CAT is $750.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 22.37% from the current price of $813.51.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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CAT Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
9/5/25 to 9/5/26
1 Month Ago
8/6/25 to 8/6/26
3 Months Ago
6/7/25 to 6/7/26
1 Year Ago
9/5/24 to 9/5/25
Strong Buy
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
13 Buy rating(s)
13 Buy rating(s)
16 Buy rating(s)
11 Buy rating(s)
Hold
11 Hold rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$995.52$989.00$933.27$454.14
Forecasted Upside22.37% Upside15.09% Upside3.14% Upside7.34% Upside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy

CAT Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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CAT Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Caterpillar Stock vs. The Competition

TypeCaterpillarIndustrials CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.60
2.30
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside23.07% Upside94.54% Upside13.93% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent CAT News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
8/19/2026
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
5 of 5 stars
 UpgradeBuy (B-)Buy (B)
8/12/2026
Zacks Research logo
Zacks Research
5 of 5 stars
 UpgradeHoldStrong-Buy
8/6/2026
DA Davidson logo
DA Davidson
2 of 5 stars
Michael Shlisky
Michael Shlisky
4 of 5 stars
Boost TargetNeutral$845.00 ➝ $882.00+1.45%
8/6/2026Boost TargetEqual Weight$800.00 ➝ $900.00+3.21%
8/5/2026Reiterated RatingMarket Perform$1,002.00+12.83%
8/5/2026Boost TargetNeutral$900.00 ➝ $925.00+4.16%
8/5/2026Set Target$980.00+10.35%
8/5/2026Set Target$970.00+10.14%
8/5/2026Boost TargetSector Perform$877.00 ➝ $897.00+1.93%
8/4/2026Reiterated RatingOutperform$1,118.00+27.05%
7/27/2026 DowngradeBuyHold
7/14/2026Boost TargetBuy$1,020.00 ➝ $1,100.00+17.97%
6/23/2026Boost TargetOverweight$1,050.00 ➝ $1,155.00+13.20%
6/17/2026Boost TargetOverweight$1,125.00 ➝ $1,165.00+21.34%
5/14/2026 Boost TargetNeutral$700.00 ➝ $950.00+4.24%
5/11/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform$1,103.00+22.19%
5/5/2026 Boost Target$850.00 ➝ $1,100.00+21.60%
5/5/2026Boost TargetBuy$820.00 ➝ $990.00+13.18%
5/1/2026Set TargetUnderweightEqual Weight$430.00 ➝ $915.00+2.70%
5/1/2026 Boost TargetBuy$930.00 ➝ $989.00+11.11%
5/1/2026 Boost TargetBuy$900.00 ➝ $1,045.00+17.30%
5/1/2026 Boost TargetNeutral$790.00 ➝ $900.00+1.02%
3/31/2026 Boost TargetOutperform$670.00 ➝ $750.00+2.55%
3/10/2026Set Target$825.00+15.10%
2/6/2026 Initiated CoverageOutperform
1/7/2026 Reiterated RatingMarket Perform
7/9/2025 UpgradeHoldBuy$500.00+26.83%
2/3/2025 UpgradeOutperform

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Saturday at 02:17 AM ET.


Should I Buy Caterpillar Stock? CAT Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Friday, September 4, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Caterpillar pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Caterpillar
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Caterpillar Inc.:

  • Caterpillar Inc. is trading at $813.51, which is significantly below the consensus price target of $995.52, suggesting substantial upside potential for investors who believe the market is undervaluing the company's recent performance and future growth prospects.
  • The company's Power & Energy business is experiencing a surge in demand driven by data centers and AI infrastructure, with retail sales to power-generation users increasing by 72% year over year in the second quarter, providing a strong and growing revenue stream that diversifies the company beyond traditional construction cycles.
  • Caterpillar Inc. recently exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $8.17 in earnings per share against a consensus estimate of $6.22, and revenue of $20.54 billion, which was up 23.7% year over year, demonstrating strong operational momentum and the ability to deliver superior financial results to shareholders.
  • Analyst sentiment has improved significantly, with Zacks Research upgrading the stock to a Strong Buy rating and Wells Fargo raising its price target to $1,155, reflecting growing confidence in the company's earnings prospects and its position as a leader among heavy-machinery peers.
  • The partnership with FieldAI to develop autonomous capabilities for construction equipment strengthens the company's automation narrative, potentially creating new long-term software and automation revenue opportunities while improving safety and productivity for customers.

Caterpillar
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Caterpillar Inc. for these reasons:

  • The stock has a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.00, which is relatively high and may indicate that the current valuation is expensive, especially considering that some analysts warn the stock has outpaced the underlying performance of some peers and is betting on future growth that has not fully arrived.
  • Recent insider selling activity, including a sale of 32,401 shares by CEO Joseph E. Creed in August 2026, may signal that company executives are taking advantage of the current high stock price to reduce their personal holdings, which could be interpreted as a lack of confidence in further short-term appreciation.
  • The stock has declined from its 52-week high of $1,073.46 to the current price of $813.51, indicating a significant pullback that may reflect broader market concerns about the sustainability of the recent rally or potential macroeconomic headwinds affecting industrial spending.
  • Despite strong recent results, the company faces a high beta of 1.60, meaning its stock is more volatile than the overall market and may experience larger price swings in response to economic changes, which could be risky for investors with a lower tolerance for volatility.
  • Some commentary suggests that the market may already be pricing in much of the company's success, and the elevated expectations could lead to disappointment if future earnings growth slows or if the demand for power generation equipment does not continue to surge as anticipated.

CAT Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 25 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Caterpillar is $995.52, with a high forecast of $1,225.00 and a low forecast of $750.00.

25 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Caterpillar in the last year. There are currently 11 hold ratings, 13 buy ratings and 1 strong buy rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" CAT shares.

According to analysts, Caterpillar's stock has a predicted upside of 22.37% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Caterpillar's stock had 3 upgrades and 3 downgrades by analysts.

Analysts like Caterpillar more than other "industrials" companies. The consensus rating for Caterpillar is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "industrials" companies is Hold. Learn more on how CAT compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Caterpillar analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 8/19/2026.
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