Zacks Research Predicts Stronger Earnings for Caterpillar

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) – Zacks Research increased their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Caterpillar in a research report issued on Thursday, April 2nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the industrial products company will post earnings of $5.28 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $5.17. The consensus estimate for Caterpillar’s current full-year earnings is $19.86 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Caterpillar’s Q3 2026 earnings at $5.70 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $21.60 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $5.29 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $6.03 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $7.37 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $24.81 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $6.26 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $29.82 EPS.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $729.00 to $786.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. HSBC increased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $660.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Wolfe Research upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $678.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $737.55.

Caterpillar Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of CAT opened at $717.23 on Friday. Caterpillar has a 1 year low of $267.30 and a 1 year high of $789.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $715.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $612.85. The firm has a market cap of $333.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.52.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The company’s revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $5.14 EPS.

Institutional Trading of Caterpillar

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in Caterpillar during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 1,060.0% during the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 58 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFS Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 972 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $764.20, for a total transaction of $742,802.40. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 824 shares in the company, valued at approximately $629,700.80. This represents a 54.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 2,278 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $759.61, for a total value of $1,730,391.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,096,117.23. This represents a 61.22% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 125,950 shares of company stock worth $88,577,390. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple forward-quarter and full-year EPS forecasts for CAT (including FY2026–FY2028 and several quarterly uplifts), pushing multi-year earnings power higher and supporting a more bullish outlook from analysts. (Zacks research note)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target increases and an upgrade have driven buying interest—separate notes lifted CAT targets to $700 and $750 and an upgrade sent the stock up intraday. Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Price Target Raised to $700.00 Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Price Target Raised to $750.00 Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Trading Up 3.1% After Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Local manufacturing expansion: Caterpillar plans to add ~200 jobs at its Victoria, Texas facility — signals ongoing demand for equipment and incremental capacity investment. Caterpillar to add 200 jobs at Victoria facility even as manufacturing activity across Texas slows
• Neutral Sentiment: C-suite governance change: CEO Joe Creed has taken on the additional role of board chairman following Jim Umpleby’s retirement — typically neutral but worth watching for any strategic shifts. Caterpillar CEO Joe Creed takes over added role as board chairman
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro tailwind: Geopolitical-driven market flows (the “Iran war FOMO” trade) have boosted industrial names including Caterpillar as investors rotate into defense- and infrastructure-exposed stocks. The Iran War FOMO Trade Is Sending Stocks Surging
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/supply-chain risk: U.S. senators have launched a review of heavy-equipment imports from Mexico that could lead to tariffs or restrictions affecting cross-border parts and finished goods — a potential headwind for Caterpillar’s Mexico-linked manufacturing footprint. Caterpillar Faces Mexico Import Review As Supply Chain Risks Resurface

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.