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Caterpillar (CAT)
NYSE:CAT
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Caterpillar (CAT) AI Stock Analysis

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CAT

Caterpillar

(NYSE:CAT)

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Outperform 72 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:72Outperform
Price Target:
$951.00
â–²(7.01% Upside)
Action:Upgraded
Date:08/07/26
CAT’s score is driven primarily by strong financial performance and a very constructive earnings call (raised guidance, record free cash flow, and a much larger backlog). Offsetting these positives are mixed/weak near-term technical signals (negative MACD and trading below shorter moving averages) and a demanding valuation (P/E ~40 with a sub-1% dividend yield).
Positive Factors
Strong cash generation
Caterpillar’s substantial TTM operating and free cash flow, with ~93% FCF-to-net-income conversion, supplies durable internal funding for capex, R&D, dividends and buybacks. Reliable cash generation strengthens resilience through cycles and supports long-term capital allocation.
Negative Factors
Elevated leverage
High leverage (~2.31x debt-to-equity and multidecade-sized total debt) amplifies cyclical sensitivity and interest-rate exposure. With operating cash flow covering a modest share of total debt, leverage constrains financial flexibility for large investments or to absorb demand shocks over the medium term.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Strong cash generation
Caterpillar’s substantial TTM operating and free cash flow, with ~93% FCF-to-net-income conversion, supplies durable internal funding for capex, R&D, dividends and buybacks. Reliable cash generation strengthens resilience through cycles and supports long-term capital allocation.
Read all positive factors

Caterpillar Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Revenue by Type
Revenue by Type
Categorizes income based on product or service type, highlighting which offerings drive the most sales and where diversification or concentration risks may lie.
Chart InsightsRevenue is increasingly concentrated in Machinery/Power & Energy, which is driving the company’s top‑line and free‑cash‑flow momentum backed by record orders/backlog and strong price realization; Financial Products is a smaller but steadily growing stabilizer with improving credit metrics. Near term, tariffs (~$2.2–$2.4B guidance) and higher depreciation/SG&A for capacity expansion will mute reported margins despite strong sales, but management’s big‑engine capacity build and raised 2030 targets point to durable aftermarket and power‑generation upside over the medium term.
Data provided by:The Fly

Caterpillar (CAT) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Caterpillar Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description
Caterpillar Inc., a global enterprise founded in 1925 and headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois (having previously operated as Caterpillar Tractor Co. until its rebranding in 1986), is a premier manufacturer and vendor of heavy construction and min...
How the Company Makes Money
Caterpillar makes money primarily by selling new equipment, selling high-margin aftermarket products and services over the life of that equipment, and earning income from financing. 1) Sales of new equipment (primary revenue driver): - Machinery:...

Caterpillar Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Aug 04, 2026
(Q2-2026)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Nov 04, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The earnings call presented a strongly positive operational and financial performance: record revenue and free cash flow, materially expanded backlog, raised full-year guidance, robust segment growth, and active capital returns. Challenges were noted — notably tariffs, higher SG&A/R&D and manufacturing costs tied to capacity expansion, regional softness in some markets, dealer inventory seasonality, and extended lead times — but management provided mitigation context (IEEPA recovery, capacity ramp actions, and disciplined investment). On balance, the favorable revenue, margin expansion, cash generation and backlog growth significantly outweigh the outlined headwinds, supporting a constructive outlook.
Positive Updates
Record Quarterly Sales and Revenue
Sales and revenues were $20.5 billion in Q2 2026, up 24% year-over-year — the first time in company history the company exceeded $20 billion in a single quarter.
Negative Updates
Tariff Headwinds and Ongoing Uncertainty
Tariff costs (excluding IEEPA recoveries) were approximately $400 million in Q2 (favorable to prior $700M estimate), but full-year 2026 tariff costs are expected to be around $2.2 billion excluding the ~$400 million IEEPA recovery recognized in Q2; tariffs continue to pressure margins and remain a fluid risk.
Read all updates
Q2-2026 Updates
Negative
Record Quarterly Sales and Revenue
Sales and revenues were $20.5 billion in Q2 2026, up 24% year-over-year — the first time in company history the company exceeded $20 billion in a single quarter.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Caterpillar raised 2026 guidance to mid‑ to high‑teens sales and revenues growth with adjusted operating profit margin now expected to be higher than in April (excluding the Q2 IEEPA recovery, full‑year margin is expected near the bottom of the target range); services revenues are now expected to grow faster and all three primary segments are expected to outperform prior guidance. Management recognized a $392 million IEEPA tariff recovery in Q2, said Q2 tariff costs (excluding recoveries) were about $400 million, now expects full‑year tariff costs (excluding recoveries) of ~ $2.2 billion (Q3 tariffs ~ $600 million with ~50% in Construction Industries and ~25% each in Power & Energy and Resource Industries) and does not assume additional IEEPA recoveries in H2. Liquidity/cash flow guidance was raised: Q2 MP&E free cash flow was a record $5.1 billion and full‑year MP&E FCF is expected in the top half of the $6–$15 billion target range (second‑half FCF slightly higher than H1); CapEx is still expected to be about $3.5 billion, restructuring ~$300–$350 million, and the estimated annual effective tax rate ~23%. Operational metrics tied to the outlook include a $72 billion backlog (up $9 billion sequentially and ~ $35 billion, or +92% year‑over‑year) with 59% of backlog slated for delivery in the next 12 months, and continued plans to return substantially all MP&E free cash flow to shareholders.

Caterpillar Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Operating results and cash generation are strong (TTM revenue ~$74.7B with ~5.6% growth, ~32.5% gross margin, ~13.3% net margin; TTM OCF ~$13.6B and FCF ~$13.1B with ~93% FCF-to-net-income conversion). The main constraint is elevated leverage (debt ~2.31x equity) and only moderate OCF coverage versus total debt (~34%), which increases cyclicality/financing risk.
Income Statement
86
Very Positive
Balance Sheet
63
Positive
Cash Flow
78
Positive
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue74.73B67.59B64.81B67.06B59.43B50.97B
Gross Profit25.31B21.86B23.32B23.26B17.51B15.00B
EBITDA17.40B14.86B16.04B15.71B11.41B11.04B
Net Income10.83B8.87B10.79B10.34B6.71B6.49B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets102.61B98.58B87.76B87.48B81.94B82.79B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments6.71B9.98B6.89B6.98B7.00B9.25B
Total Debt45.15B43.33B38.41B37.88B36.99B37.79B
Total Liabilities83.22B77.27B68.27B67.97B66.05B66.28B
Stockholders Equity19.39B21.32B19.49B19.49B15.87B16.48B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow8.99B10.27B8.82B9.79B5.17B4.73B
Operating Cash Flow13.57B11.74B12.04B12.88B7.77B7.20B
Investing Cash Flow-6.64B-4.71B-2.45B-5.87B-2.54B-3.08B
Financing Cash Flow-5.59B-3.90B-9.56B-6.93B-7.28B-4.19B

Caterpillar Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price888.73
Price Trends
50DMA
907.14
Negative
100DMA
872.41
Negative
200DMA
756.32
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-15.37
Negative
RSI
39.82
Neutral
STOCH
29.90
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CAT, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 888.73 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 848.36, below the 50-day MA of 907.14, and above the 200-day MA of 756.32, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -15.37 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 39.82 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 29.90 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for CAT.

Caterpillar Risk Analysis

Caterpillar disclosed 14 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Caterpillar reported the most risks in the "Legal & Regulatory" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Caterpillar Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
77
Outperform
$67.39B26.7812.73%2.05%-10.49%-18.64%
72
Outperform
$386.53B34.9754.14%0.69%18.36%18.23%
72
Outperform
$9.12B17.0512.32%1.39%1.93%-12.16%
63
Neutral
$10.79B15.437.44%2.01%2.89%-14.66%
63
Neutral
$158.92B32.8218.25%1.03%3.98%-14.68%
62
Neutral
$6.89B13.7512.45%0.97%1.74%443.88%
43
Neutral
$12.41B41.384.01%0.90%0.60%-62.01%
* Industrials Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
CAT
Caterpillar
816.15
399.31
95.80%
AGCO
Agco
99.52
-12.21
-10.93%
CNH
CNH Industrial
10.29
-1.77
-14.70%
DE
Deere
580.63
94.01
19.32%
OSK
Oshkosh
149.85
14.46
10.68%
PCAR
Paccar
127.47
31.65
33.03%

Caterpillar Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackDividendsFinancial Disclosures
Caterpillar Reports Record Q2 2026 Revenue and Profit
Positive
Aug 4, 2026
On Aug. 4, 2026, Caterpillar reported record second-quarter 2026 sales and revenues of $20.5 billion, a 24% increase from the same period in 2025, driven primarily by higher sales volumes and favorable pricing. Profit per share rose to $7.77, with...
DividendsShareholder Meetings
Caterpillar boosts quarterly dividend following shareholder meeting
Positive
Jun 11, 2026
At its virtual annual meeting on June 10, 2026, Caterpillar Inc. shareholders re-elected all board nominees to one-year terms, ratified PricewaterhouseCoopers as independent auditor for 2026 and approved executive compensation in an advisory vote,...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Aug 07, 2026