CAT- Caterpillar Inc.
Industrials · Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery
Price & Performance
Performance
Analysis & Verdict
Analyst Ratings
BuyWall Street consensus from 26 analysts
12-Month Price Target
$975.61
Based on analyst estimates; price targets are opinions, not guarantees.
Fair Value Estimates
Current price: $818.57
Graham Number
√(22.5 × EPS × Book Value)
$148.57
Benjamin Graham's intrinsic value formula. Assumes a fair stock trades at no more than 22.5× the product of EPS and book value per share.
Bazin Ceiling Price
Avg. Annual DPS (5Y) ÷ 6%
$83.87
Décio Bazin's dividend-based ceiling. The max price you should pay so that dividends alone deliver at least 6% annual yield on your cost basis.
These are simplified estimates. Not financial advice.
Buy & Hold Checklist
Quality criteria for long-term holding
9/10
90% score
Pays dividends
15Y hist.15+ years of dividend history
Dividend consistency (5Y+)
15 yrsUninterrupted dividend payments for at least 5 years
ROE above 10%
57.0%Return on equity - measures how efficiently capital is used
Positive profit margin
14.5%Net profit margin must be positive - company earns more than it spends
Revenue growth (annual)
+24.0%Annual revenue must be growing compared to the prior year
Earnings growth (annual)
+68.2%Annual earnings must be growing compared to the prior year
Debt/Equity below 2×
232.78×Low financial leverage reduces risk of distress
Current ratio above 1
1.37×Short-term assets must cover short-term liabilities
Daily liquidity above $5M
$2.5B/dayHigh trading volume ensures easy entry and exit
Dividend yield above 0%
0.80%Stock must distribute income to shareholders
Financials
Revenue & Results
Key Statistics
Earnings
Next Earnings
Oct 29, 2026
47
days
EPS (TTM)
$23.25
P/E (TTM)
35.2
Fwd P/E
25.3
SEC Filings & Reported Financials
Earnings History
SEC EDGAR · official filings
SEC Filings
Official EDGAR documents
Insider Transactions
SEC Form 4 · officers, directors & 10% owners
Dividends & Income
Dividends
Current DY
0.80%
5Y Avg Annual
$5.1060
Last Payment
$1.6300
Ex-Date
07/20/2026
Annual dividends paid per share
| Ex-Date | Payment | Amount | Est. DY |
|---|---|---|---|
Latest07/20/2026 | 08/19/2026 | $1.6300 | 0.80% |
04/20/2026 | 05/20/2026 | $1.5100 | 0.74% |
01/20/2026 | 02/19/2026 | $1.5100 | 0.74% |
10/20/2025 | 11/19/2025 | $1.5100 | 0.74% |
07/21/2025 | 08/20/2025 | $1.5100 | 0.74% |
04/21/2025 | 05/21/2025 | $1.4100 | 0.69% |
01/21/2025 | 02/20/2025 | $1.4100 | 0.69% |
10/21/2024 | 11/20/2024 | $1.4100 | 0.69% |
Magic Number
Shares needed to self-fund your next purchase
$818.57
Price
$1.6300
Last div. (quarterly)
503
shares
Own 503 CAT shares ($411,740.71) and each quarterly dividend pays for 1 new share - the snowball runs on its own.
Investment target
$411,740.71
New shares / year
+4 shares
Dividend Calculator
0.80% yieldEstimate CAT dividend income at the current rate.
Per year
$79.65
Per month
$6.64
≈ 12.2 shares at $6.52/share a year. Estimate only - dividends can be cut or raised.
Tools & Simulators
CAT vs Peers, Indexes & Commodities
?Click a card below to plot it on the chart
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Parameters
Final value
$426,404.61
Total invested
$130,000.00
Total interest
$296,404.61
Balance over time
Period breakdown
| Period | Balance | Invested | Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | $10,000.00 | $10,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Year 1 | $17,270.27 | $16,000.00 | $1,270.27 |
| Year 2 | $25,267.56 | $22,000.00 | $3,267.56 |
| Year 3 | $34,064.59 | $28,000.00 | $6,064.59 |
| Year 4 | $43,741.32 | $34,000.00 | $9,741.32 |
| Year 5 | $54,385.72 | $40,000.00 | $14,385.72 |
| Year 6 | $66,094.55 | $46,000.00 | $20,094.55 |
| Year 7 | $78,974.28 | $52,000.00 | $26,974.28 |
| Year 8 | $93,141.97 | $58,000.00 | $35,141.97 |
| Year 9 | $108,726.44 | $64,000.00 | $44,726.44 |
| Year 10 | $125,869.35 | $70,000.00 | $55,869.35 |
| Year 11 | $144,726.56 | $76,000.00 | $68,726.56 |
| Year 12 | $165,469.48 | $82,000.00 | $83,469.48 |
| Year 13 | $188,286.70 | $88,000.00 | $100,286.70 |
| Year 14 | $213,385.63 | $94,000.00 | $119,385.63 |
| Year 15 | $240,994.47 | $100,000.00 | $140,994.47 |
| Year 16 | $271,364.18 | $106,000.00 | $165,364.18 |
| Year 17 | $304,770.87 | $112,000.00 | $192,770.87 |
| Year 18 | $341,518.22 | $118,000.00 | $223,518.22 |
| Year 19 | $381,940.31 | $124,000.00 | $257,940.31 |
| Year 20 | $426,404.61 | $130,000.00 | $296,404.61 |
What is compound interest?
Compound interest means that the interest you earn in one period is added to your principal, so in the next period you earn interest on a larger base. This creates exponential growth: the longer your time horizon, the more dramatic the effect.
Which rate should I use?
The S&P 500 has historically returned ~10%/year before inflation over long periods - use this for an all-equity US index fund scenario. A balanced growth portfolio (stocks + bonds) is closer to 7%. High-yield savings accounts (HYSA) are currently paying around 4-5% with FDIC insurance and zero market risk. Bonds historically return ~4% annualized.
Formula used
FV = PV × (1+r)^n + PMT × ((1+r)^n − 1) / rwhere r is the monthly rate, n is the number of months, PV is the initial investment, and PMT is the monthly contribution. Annual rates are converted to monthly viar = (1 + annual%)^(1/12) − 1.
For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Past returns do not guarantee future results.
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About Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. provides construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives in the United States and internationally. The Construction Industries segment offers asphalt pavers, cold planers, compactors, forestry machines, material handlers, motor graders, pipelayers, road reclaimers, telehandlers, track-type tractors, and track and wheel excavators; backhoe, compact track, skid steer, track-type, and wheel loaders; and related parts and work tools. Its Resource Industries segment provides electric rope and hydraulic shovels, draglines, rotary drills, hard rock vehicles, mining trucks, wheel loaders, off-highway and articulated trucks, wide-body trucks, wheel tractor scrapers and dozers, and landfill and soil compactors; machinery components, and wear and maintenance components; and technology products and services for fleet management, equipment management analytics, autonomous machine capabilities, safety services, and mining performance solutions. The Energy & Transportation segment offers reciprocating engine powered generator sets; reciprocating engines, drivetrain, and integrated systems and solutions; centrifugal gas compressors and related services; and diesel-electric locomotive components, and other rail-related products. Its Financial Products segment provides operating and finance leases, revolving charge accounts, installment sale contracts, repair/rebuild financing, working capital loans, and wholesale financing; and insurance and risk management products and services. The All Other segment offers parts distribution; logistics and distribution services; electronics and control systems; dealer portfolio management; brand management and marketing strategy; and digital investment services. It also provides mining software solutions. The company was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. Caterpillar Inc. was incorporated in 1925 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas.
Sector
Industrials
Industry
Farm & Heavy Construction Machinery
Location
Irving, United States
Employees
118,000
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Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) stock trades at $818.57, up 1.69% on the day. With a market capitalization of $376.28 billion, CAT is a mega-cap industrials stock. It trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 35.2, a forward P/E of 25.3 and earnings per share (EPS) of $23.25. Over the most recent period the company reported 24% year-over-year revenue growth and a net profit margin of 14.5%. Below you'll find CAT's full fundamentals, fair-value estimates, dividend history, earnings and our buy, hold or avoid verdict for 2026.
CAT - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) a good stock to buy in 2026?
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) shows strengths such as revenue growth of 24% and a 57% return on equity, while risks include high leverage (debt/equity of 232.8). Whether CAT is a good buy in 2026 depends on your time horizon and risk tolerance - review the full bull case, bear case and fair-value estimates above. This is informational analysis, not financial advice.
What is CAT's stock price today?
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) trades at $818.57, up 1.69% on the session. Prices on this page update throughout the trading day.
Does CAT pay a dividend?
Yes. Caterpillar Inc. pays an annual dividend of $6.52 per share, a dividend yield of 0.80%. The most recent ex-dividend date was July 20, 2026. Its payout ratio is about 26% of earnings.
Is CAT overvalued?
With a P/E ratio of 35.2×, CAT is valued above the broad-market average for the industrials sector. Its PEG ratio is 1.41. See the Fair Value Estimates section above for Graham Number and dividend-based price targets.
What is CAT's market cap?
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) has a market capitalization of $376.28 billion, classifying it as a mega-cap stock in the Industrials sector.
Disclaimer: This page - including any buy/hold/avoid view, fair value or price estimate - is generated from market data for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment or trading advice. Data may be delayed or inaccurate. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision.