Q1 EPS Estimates for Caterpillar Boosted by Zacks Research

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for Caterpillar in a research note issued to investors on Friday, March 20th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the industrial products company will post earnings of $4.46 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $4.38. The consensus estimate for Caterpillar’s current full-year earnings is $19.86 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Caterpillar’s FY2026 earnings at $21.46 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.99 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $7.12 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $24.17 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $28.88 EPS.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on CAT. DA Davidson upped their target price on Caterpillar from $569.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. CICC Research began coverage on Caterpillar in a report on Friday, February 6th. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $785.00 to $825.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Wall Street Zen cut Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Caterpillar from $760.00 to $785.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $730.50.

Caterpillar Trading Up 3.0%

Shares of CAT stock opened at $701.38 on Monday. Caterpillar has a 12-month low of $267.30 and a 12-month high of $789.81. The company has a market capitalization of $326.34 billion, a PE ratio of 37.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.53. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $703.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $597.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44.

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

Insider Activity

In other Caterpillar news, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 2,278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $759.61, for a total value of $1,730,391.58. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,096,117.23. This trade represents a 61.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $776.90, for a total transaction of $6,130,517.90. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 46,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $36,236,946.70. This trade represents a 14.47% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 135,950 shares of company stock valued at $94,327,990. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,165,899,000. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 7.3% during the third quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 17,262 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $8,237,000 after buying an additional 1,181 shares during the period. Groupe la Francaise raised its stake in Caterpillar by 82.0% in the second quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 27,246 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $10,820,000 after buying an additional 12,278 shares in the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its holdings in Caterpillar by 155.9% during the third quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 47,231 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $21,014,000 after buying an additional 28,773 shares during the period. Finally, Caprock Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 3rd quarter valued at $8,893,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its earnings outlook for Caterpillar, forecasting higher EPS — a direct positive for investor expectations and support for the stock after Caterpillar’s January quarter beat. Zacks Research Forecasts Higher Earnings for Caterpillar
• Positive Sentiment: A Chicago Tribune editorial highlights Hyundai Translead’s large Joliet manufacturing investment and broader regional manufacturing momentum; such industrial investments can indirectly lift demand for heavy equipment, parts and services that benefit suppliers like CAT. Editorial: Gov. JB Pritzker gets a big win with Hyundai Translead’s splashy Joliet investment
• Neutral Sentiment: Human-interest coverage referencing “caterpillars” as food for songbirds — not related to Caterpillar Inc.’s business; minimal investor impact. ‘The great munching’: Caterpillars’ gluttony means food for baby songbirds
• Neutral Sentiment: Feature on interactive machines at an Illinois museum — raises local brand visibility but has little bearing on fundamentals. The Massive Interactive Machines At This Illinois Museum Will Blow You Away
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece warns that while data?center demand tailwinds for Caterpillar are real, current valuation appears to price in aggressive growth that may be unrealistic — a caution for multiple expansion and a potential cap on further upside if growth slows. Caterpillar: Data Center Tailwinds Are Real, But Valuation Assumes Unrealistic Growth

About Caterpillar

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.