Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Raised to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Aug 14th, 2026

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

CAT has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,103.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $900.00 to $925.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Argus lifted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $995.52.

Get Our Latest Report on Caterpillar

Caterpillar Stock Up 0.0%

CAT stock opened at $855.97 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $916.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $826.31. The company has a market cap of $393.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.83, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.60. Caterpillar has a 12-month low of $405.46 and a 12-month high of $1,073.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $1.95. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 55.53% and a net margin of 14.51%.The business had revenue of $20.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.34 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.72 earnings per share. Caterpillar’s quarterly revenue was up 23.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Caterpillar will post 26.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Caterpillar

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Pacific Point Advisors LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth approximately $579,000. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 51.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 7,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,688,000 after buying an additional 2,519 shares during the last quarter. United Bank boosted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 108.5% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 4,083 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,125 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 3.9% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,147 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,551,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its position in Caterpillar by 6.5% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 572,165 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $222,120,000 after acquiring an additional 34,846 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar ended the second quarter with a record $72 billion backlog, signaling sustained demand for heavy equipment and supporting management’s upgraded 2026 sales outlook. Strength across construction, mining and energy-related businesses reinforces the company’s growth prospects. CAT Ends Q2 With Record Backlog: Is Demand Momentum Here to Stay?
Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighted Caterpillar’s record quarterly sales of approximately $20.5 billion, stronger operating profit and improved margins. These results add to the bullish case following the company’s recent earnings beat and year-over-year revenue growth. Caterpillar Marks Record Quarter with $20.5B in Sales and Revenues
Positive Sentiment: Zacks included CAT among momentum stocks that could outperform in 2026, reflecting strong recent business performance and investor interest. Western Digital & 2 Momentum Stocks That Could Soar in 2026
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage continues to assess whether Wall Street favors Caterpillar, while Erste Group issued a fiscal 2026 earnings forecast. These reports may influence expectations, but the provided articles do not specify a broad consensus change or price-target revision. Do Wall Street analysts like Caterpillar stock?
Negative Sentiment: Analysts noted that Caterpillar’s strong backlog, sales growth and raised outlook are already reflected in a premium valuation. That raises the risk of volatility if orders slow, margins disappoint or future results fail to exceed elevated expectations. The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Caterpillar, Komatsu, Terex and Astec Industries

About Caterpillar

(Get Free Report)

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.