Q3 EPS Estimates for Caterpillar Lifted by Zacks Research

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Caterpillar in a report issued on Wednesday, July 15th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings of $6.36 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $6.29. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Caterpillar’s current full-year earnings is $24.86 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Caterpillar’s Q4 2026 earnings at $6.61 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $24.51 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $6.15 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $7.17 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $7.46 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $8.22 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $29.01 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $7.57 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $8.77 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $34.31 EPS.

CAT has been the subject of several other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. DA Davidson increased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $980.00 to $1,105.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $980.57.

Caterpillar Stock Down 4.1%

Shares of Caterpillar stock opened at $876.44 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.81. Caterpillar has a 1-year low of $405.46 and a 1-year high of $1,073.46. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $931.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $792.83. The company has a market capitalization of $403.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.63, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.57.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The business had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Caterpillar news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 360 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $906.00, for a total value of $326,160.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 530 shares in the company, valued at approximately $480,180. The trade was a 40.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total value of $11,444,205.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 49,825 shares in the company, valued at $45,236,615.75. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Caterpillar

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Caterpillar by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,635 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,741,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Inspirion Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 1.2% in the second quarter. Inspirion Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 944 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $936,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Bell Bank increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.6% in the second quarter. Bell Bank now owns 1,865 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,986,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 0.7% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC now owns 1,818 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,288,000 after acquiring an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Resource Group boosted its position in Caterpillar by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Advisory Resource Group now owns 1,632 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $935,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Caterpillar News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research lifted Caterpillar’s earnings outlook for multiple periods, including FY2026, FY2027 and FY2028, signaling stronger profit growth ahead and supporting the long-term bull case for CAT.
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary ahead of Caterpillar’s Q2 2026 report points to a double-digit rise in profits, suggesting the upcoming earnings release could act as a catalyst if results meet or beat expectations. What to Expect From Caterpillar’s Q2 2026 Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest in Caterpillar remains elevated around themes tied to infrastructure, power demand and data-center buildouts, which may provide a broader backdrop of demand for heavy equipment and power-related products. 3 Stocks Riding the AI Data Center Power Buildout in July
• Negative Sentiment: The downgrade to hold from Zacks Research is the most immediate negative catalyst, likely pressuring sentiment despite the improved earnings forecasts.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent trading weakness in CAT also shows investors have been taking profits ahead of earnings, leaving the stock vulnerable to any disappointment in the upcoming report.

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.