Caterpillar FY2026 EPS Estimate Lifted by Erste Group Bank

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) – Erste Group Bank increased their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Caterpillar in a report issued on Wednesday, February 18th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the industrial products company will post earnings of $22.61 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $22.57. The consensus estimate for Caterpillar’s current full-year earnings is $19.86 per share.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The business had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $5.14 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $740.00 to $765.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Barclays increased their price target on Caterpillar from $610.00 to $625.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $678.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup raised their target price on Caterpillar from $710.00 to $760.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $702.95.

Caterpillar Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of CAT stock opened at $759.52 on Monday. Caterpillar has a fifty-two week low of $267.30 and a fifty-two week high of $789.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.44. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $649.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $553.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $353.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.36, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.58.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAT. Advisory Resource Group boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 0.8% in 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 period. Invst LLC boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Invst LLC now owns 753 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $431,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. Plancorp LLC grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Plancorp LLC now owns 2,777 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,591,000 after buying an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $683,000 after buying an additional 15 shares during the period. Finally, KDT Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Caterpillar by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. KDT Advisors LLC now owns 657 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $376,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 10,671 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $680.45, for a total value of $7,261,081.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 41,151 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,001,197.95. The trade was a 20.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $720.11, for a total transaction of $16,314,812.16. Following the sale, the insider owned 79,953 shares in the company, valued at $57,574,954.83. This trade represents a 22.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 141,172 shares of company stock valued at $96,514,673 over the last ninety days. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th were given a $1.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is presently 32.09%.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat: Caterpillar reported sequential EPS growth and revenue above expectations, snapping five quarters of EPS declines — a near‑term earnings positive that supports upside if margins stabilize. CAT Sees Q4 Earnings Growth Amid Cost Pressures
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish outlook: CNBC highlights momentum from 2025 and argues there’s more upside in 2026 based on order strength and secular exposures — a catalyst for positive analyst sentiment and fund flows. This industrial giant is off to the races in 2026 after a strong 2025
• Positive Sentiment: Mining tech M&A: Caterpillar completed the RPMGlobal acquisition to bolster software and data offerings — a strategic move to increase recurring, higher‑margin services revenue over time. Caterpillar acquires RPMGlobal to bolster mining tech solutions
• Positive Sentiment: Battery/capacity push: Caterpillar‑backed investments (ElevenEs Series B & reported mega battery plant plans) expand electrification exposure — long‑term growth potential in mining and power systems. ElevenEs Held 1st Closing of Its Series B Investment Round
• Positive Sentiment: AI/data‑center demand angle: Coverage points to Caterpillar exposure to data‑center power and electrification — a structural demand story that could diversify revenue beyond equipment cycles. Can AI Infrastructure Spending Keep CAT Stock Climbing?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor events: Management will appear at CONEXPO and recently presented at Barclays — useful for incremental guidance but not immediate catalysts until management commentary or updates. Caterpillar CEO Joe Creed to Participate in Fireside Chat at CONEXPO
• Neutral Sentiment: Benchmarking: Caterpillar is among the Dow leaders YTD — positive sentiment but not a direct fundamental driver. Caterpillar, Honeywell, and Chevron Lead the Dow Jones in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Multiple disclosed sales (including CAO William Schaupp and other senior officers) have been reported this week — raising short‑term selling pressure and investor concern about timing. Insider Selling: Caterpillar CAO Sells 972 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Margin and estimate risks: Reports flag tariffs, rising input costs and margin compression heading into 2026; Zacks has trimmed near‑term EPS estimates — a clear short‑term earnings risk. CAT Sees Q4 Earnings Growth Amid Cost Pressures
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: Coverage on mining tech and battery moves calls attention to a rich CAT valuation vs. the added execution risk of new initiatives — could limit multiple expansion. Caterpillar’s Mining Tech And Battery Moves Confront Rich Valuation Concerns

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.