Q1 EPS Estimates for Caterpillar Raised by Zacks Research

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) – Analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Caterpillar in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, April 9th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $4.44 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $4.41. 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 $5.66 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $6.00 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $7.36 EPS.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released 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. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The company had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $5.14 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $729.00 to $786.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Robert W. Baird set a $805.00 price objective on Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wolfe Research raised their target price on Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Raymond James Financial restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group raised their target price on Caterpillar from $640.00 to $790.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $747.14.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

NYSE:CAT opened at $790.66 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $728.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $627.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 0.94. Caterpillar has a 12 month low of $282.46 and a 12 month high of $798.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $367.89 billion, a PE ratio of 42.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.52.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Caterpillar

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CAT. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 1,060.0% in the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 58 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 220.0% in the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in Caterpillar in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 2,500 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $718.93, for a total value of $1,797,325.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 35,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,222,221.19. This trade represents a 6.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 39,138 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $681.08, for a total value of $26,656,109.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 43,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,524,818. This trade represents a 47.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 125,950 shares of company stock valued at $88,577,390. 0.33% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, April 20th will be paid a $1.51 dividend. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 32.09%.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Surging generator sales tied to AI and data-center buildouts — coverage argues Caterpillar is benefiting directly from AI-driven infrastructure demand, making CAT a de-facto AI play as orders for standby and prime power equipment accelerate. Is Caterpillar Actually An AI Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and much higher price target — Citigroup raised its price target to $905 and kept a Buy rating, providing fresh upside justification for investors and supporting near-term buying interest. Citigroup Adjusts Price Target on Caterpillar to $905
• Positive Sentiment: Nvidia partnership and technical buy zone — follow‑on coverage highlights Caterpillar’s CES-era AI collaboration with Nvidia and frames the stock as trading in a renewed buy range as the market digests AI tailwinds. This supports both growth and sentiment narratives. Caterpillar Excavates Buy Zone Boosted By Nvidia AI Prowess
• Positive Sentiment: Strong earnings surprise history and upward estimate revisions — multiple pieces (Zacks, Yahoo) point to Caterpillar’s record of beating consensus and recent analyst upgrades to EPS forecasts, increasing the probability of another upside surprise at the next report. Will Caterpillar (CAT) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend policy steady but hike anticipated — management held the dividend for now; analysts note the large backlog and cash flow strength make a raise likely in the near term, which is supportive but not an immediate catalyst. CAT Holds Dividend Steady For Now: Is a Hike Around the Corner?
• Neutral Sentiment: Smaller/administrative items — people moves and secondary press items are out but unlikely to move the stock materially versus the AI/earnings/analyst drivers above. People News: Caterpillar, GoRail

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.