CAT

Irving, Texas-based Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) manufactures and sells 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 company has a market capitalization of $429.9 billion and is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of the said equipment. CAT is expected to release its Q2 2026 earnings soon. Ahead of the event, analysts expect the company’s EPS to be $6.25 on a diluted basis, up 32.4% from $4.72 in the year-ago quarter. The company has exceeded Wall Street’s EPS estimates in three of its last four quarters, while missing on one occasion. Elon Musk Dubs Him ‘Scam Altman’ Not Sam — Then Altman Clapped Back: ‘Homeboy You’re The One Selling Space Datacenters’ Oracle Stock Crashes to a 52-Week Low. Here’s Why It Might Be Time to Buy. Short Seller Hunterbrook Attacked Bloom Energy’s Supply-Chain Claims. BE Stock Is Bruised, But Not Broken. Tired of missing midday reversals? The FREE Barchart Brief newsletter keeps you in the know. Sign up now! For fiscal 2026, analysts project the company’s EPS to be $24.85, up 30.4% from $19.06 in fiscal 2025. Moreover, its EPS is expected to rise by roughly 25.1% year over year (YoY) to $31.08 in fiscal 2027. CAT stock has grown 132.8% over the past 52 weeks, rallying the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 20.3% rise and the State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLI) 19.5% rise during the same time frame. On Apr. 30, CAT stock grew 9.9% following the release of its Q1 2026 earnings. The company’s revenue amounted to $17.4 billion and surpassed the Street’s estimates. Moreover, its adjusted EPS came in at $5.54, also coming in on top of Wall Street’s forecasts. Analysts are somewhat bullish on CAT, with the stock currently rated “Moderate Buy” overall. Among the 23 analysts covering the stock, 13 recommend a “Strong Buy,” and 10 recommend a “Hold.” CAT’s average analyst price target is $1,020.45, indicating an upside of 9.3% from the current levels. On the date of publication, Aritra Gangopadhyay did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com

Fastenal Company FAST reported mixed second-quarter 2026 results, with earnings meeting the Zacks Consensus Estimate and net sales beating the same. Conversely, year over year, both metrics grew notably.Fastenal continued to benefit from customer signings secured since the first quarter of 2024. Contract customer daily sales increased 17.6% year over year and represented 75.8% of quarterly revenues, up from 73.2% a year earlier.FAST stock lost 2.2% during today’s pre-market trading session after the announcement of the financial results. Fastenal’s quarterly earnings of 33 cents per share were in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but increased 15.9% year over year from 29 cents per share.Net sales rose 14.7% year over year to $2.39 billion and surpassed the consensus mark of $2.34 billion by 1.9%. Growth reflected stronger customer contract signings, pricing actions and improved industrial production. Daily sales also advanced 14.7%. Fastenal Company price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Fastenal Company Quote Manufacturing daily sales increased 14.9%, with the segment contributing 75.9% of total sales. Heavy Manufacturing led the improvement with 18.1% growth and represented 44.1% of revenues. Other Manufacturing sales rose 10.8%.Non-Residential Construction daily sales advanced 17%, marking continued growth in the market. Other End-Market sales increased 14.1%, aided by transportation and warehousing customers. Total Non-Manufacturing daily sales climbed 15.1%.Direct-Material daily sales grew 16.5% and accounted for 39.2% of revenues. Direct Fasteners and Hardware increased 16.8%, while direct cutting tools and abrasives rose 14.8%. Direct Non-Fasteners and Hardware sales improved 16.7%.Indirect-Material daily sales increased 14.1% and represented 60.8% of revenues. Indirect Fastener sales rose 14.6%, Safety Products increased 13.1%, and other indirect product lines advanced 14.6%. Direct materials slightly outpaced indirect products due to stronger fastener demand and manufacturing activity. Digital Footprint sales increased 16.2% to $1.49 billion and represented 61.6% of revenues, up from 61% in the prior-year quarter. The metric combines sales through Fastenal Managed Inventory technology with eBusiness sales that do not overlap with those services.FMI sales rose 16.4% to $1.08 billion and accounted for 44.6% of revenues. FAST signed 6,993 weighted...

Fastenal Company FAST is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 14, before the opening bell.In the last reported quarter, its earnings per share (EPS) met the Zacks Consensus Estimate at 30 cents and grew year over year by 13.6%. Net sales marginally topped the consensus mark by 0.04% and grew 12.4% from the year-ago quarter.Fastenal’s earnings topped the consensus mark in one of the last four quarters, met on two occasions and missed on the remaining one, with the average surprise being 0.1%. For the second quarter, FAST’s Zacks Consensus Estimate for EPS has moved upward over the past 60 days to 33 cents per share from 32 cents. The estimated figure indicates 13.8% year-over-year growth.The consensus mark for net sales is pegged at $2.34 billion, indicating a 12.6% increase from the year-ago reported figure of $2.08 billion. Fastenal Company price-eps-surprise | Fastenal Company Quote SalesIn the second quarter, the top-line performance of Fastenal is likely to have improved year over year, driven by improved customer contract signings and an improvement in industrial production, alongside favorable pricing and several sales-boosting initiatives. The company’s focus on growing its digital footprint, increasing inventory and improving picking efficiency at its hubs is expected to have boded well, despite the sluggish industrial environment.Direct materials, which include fasteners, cutting tools and other production-related items, are expected to have added to the sales growth of Fastenal, led by improved demand trends for direct fasteners and hardware. Besides, its manufacturing exposure is likely to have been another major driver for the results. Moreover, a balanced mix of on-site and off-site services, along with market share gains across various product categories, is likely to have been an additional growth contributor.If we go by the latest monthly sales report, May's daily sales grew 14.8% to $37.6 million year over year and grew 4.6% from April 2026.In terms of end markets in May 2026, Heavy Manufacturing and Other Manufacturing daily sales increased 18.7% and 11.5%, respectively, with Non-residential Construction growing 16%. In terms of customer usage, daily sales for Direct Fasteners/Hardware and Direct non-Fasteners/Hardware jumped 15.9% and 17.2%, respectively. Daily sales under Direct Cutting Tools and Abrasives also improved...

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. HSBC identified 10 Buy-rated stocks it believes are well positioned ahead of the second-quarter earnings season, citing favorable trends across technology, financial, consumer and industrial sectors. HSBC named Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), Alphabet (GOOGL), AbbVie (ABBV), Caterpillar (CAT), Marriott International (MAR), Vertiv (VRT), NextPower (NXT) and Wells Fargo (WFC) as its preferred earnings-season ideas. The firm said the selections reflect company-specific growth drivers rather than a single sector theme. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Sign with AMZN. Is AMZN fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. HSBC expects Amazon to benefit from continued cloud computing demand and AI infrastructure investments, while Microsoft could see further momentum from Azure AI services. The brokerage also pointed to Meta's AI-powered advertising tools, Alphabet's cloud and search businesses, and Vertiv's exposure to expanding data center spending. Outside technology, HSBC said AbbVie's immunology portfolio, Caterpillar's exposure to AI-related power demand, Marriott's asset-light business model and Wells Fargo's improving earnings outlook could support results. The brokerage also highlighted NextPower's project backlog and expansion efforts as potential growth catalysts heading into the reporting season.

Alphabet's Q1 2026 free cash flow collapsed 46% while capex more than doubled, and Meta's 2025 FCF dropped 19% despite 22% revenue growth. HPE is up 73% YTD and Caterpillar now trades at 48x earnings, meaning the value stock rotation Hough recommended is largely already priced in. At 32x projected free cash flow versus 22x earnings, the S&P 500 leaves little margin for error when AI capex distorts reported profits. Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Google didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today. On a recent episode of Barron's Streetwise, host Jack Hough answered a listener named William who was nervous about how much money he had made in AI-adjacent names like Dell (NYSE:DELL) and HPE (NYSE:HPE). Hough's answer had a number in it that should probably make everyone else nervous too. "You can look at the S&P 500 right now and you can say, okay, it trades at 22 times projected 2026 earnings. That's kind of expensive. But it trades at 32 times projected free cash flow. That's extraordinarily expensive." The index is up 9.22% year to date, and the gap between what companies are earning on paper and what they are actually converting into cash is now the most important argument on Wall Street. Hough's explanation is worth understanding because it is not complicated. When a hyperscaler spends billions on GPUs and data centers, that capex gets depreciated over years, so only a sliver hits the income statement each quarter. Meanwhile, the companies selling picks and shovels (servers, switches, generators) book the corresponding revenue immediately. So the whole ecosystem's reported earnings look terrific, while the cash actually leaving the building tells a different story. Hough cited Google's projected 2025 profit of $173 billion against free cash flow of only $19 billion, and Meta's $84 billion in earnings against roughly $400 million in cash burn as the shape of the problem. Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Google didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today. Those specific figures are directional, and the actual reports rhyme with them. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) posted FY2025 free cash flow of $73.3 billion, up just 0.7% year over year, even as capex jumped 74% to $91.4 billion. In Q1 2026 it got worse. FCF collapsed 46.63% to $10.12 billion while capex...

If you are looking for a stock that has a solid history of beating earnings estimates and is in a good position to maintain the trend in its next quarterly report, you should consider Caterpillar (CAT). This company, which is in the Zacks Manufacturing - Construction and Mining industry, shows potential for another earnings beat. This construction equipment company has an established record of topping earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The company boasts an average surprise for the past two quarters of 16.13%. For the last reported quarter, Caterpillar came out with earnings of $5.54 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.55 per share, representing a surprise of 21.76%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $4.67 per share and it actually produced earnings of $5.16 per share, delivering a surprise of 10.49%. With this earnings history in mind, recent estimates have been moving higher for Caterpillar. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the company is positive, which is a great sign of an earnings beat, especially when you combine this metric with its nice Zacks Rank. Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven. The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Caterpillar currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.11%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner. With the Earnings ESP metric, it's important to note that a negative value reduces its predictive power; however, a negative Earnings ESP does not indi...

US stocks (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC) search for direction ahead of Thursday's session close, while Micron Technology (MU) holds onto gains following its massive earnings beat yesterday. Yahoo Finance Markets and Data Editor Jared Blikre takes a closer look at the day's market moves, Big Tech stocks, and how Micron's stock gains may be impacting Apple (AAPL).

Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q1 behind us, let’s have a look at Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) and its peers. Automation that increases efficiencies and connected equipment that collects analyzable data have been trending, creating new demand for heavy machinery and equipment companies. The gradual transition to clean energy also allows companies to innovate around emissions, potentially spurring replacement cycles that can accelerate revenue growth. On the other hand, heavy machinery companies are at the whim of economic cycles. Interest rates, for example, can greatly impact the commercial and residential construction that drives demand for these companies’ offerings. The 21 heavy machinery stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.2% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line. In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.7% on average since the latest earnings results. With its iconic yellow machinery working on construction sites, Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) manufactures construction equipment like bulldozers, excavators, and parts and maintenance services. Caterpillar reported revenues of $17.42 billion, up 22.2% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 7.4%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income and EPS estimates. "Our team delivered a strong start to the year, driven by resilient end markets and disciplined execution in a dynamic operating environment," said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Joe Creed. Interestingly, the stock is up 21.6% since reporting and currently trades at $985.40. Is now the time to buy Caterpillar? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free. Once manufacturing snowplows designed for the iconic jeep vehicle precursor, Douglas Dynamics (NYSE:PLOW) offers snow and ice equipment for the roads and sidewalks. Douglas Dynamics reported revenues of $137.8 million, up 19.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.4%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates. Douglas Dynamics scored the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 10.7% since...

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Astec Industries (ASTE). Shares have lost about 2.7% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500. Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Astec Industries due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent drivers for Astec Industries, Inc. before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late. Astec Industries posted adjusted earnings of 54 cents per share for the first quarter of 2026, down 40.7% from the year-ago period. The quarter’s adjusted earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 88 cents by 38.6%. Profitability was pressured by timing and mix within the legacy Infrastructure Solutions segment, along with incremental expenses tied to the ConExpo trade show. Net sales were $396.3 million, up 20.3% year over year and modestly ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $394 million. Astec ended the quarter with a backlog of $549.2 million, reflecting a 36.4% increase year over year, pointing to improving demand visibility across the portfolio. Materials Solutions backlog rose 87.5% to $236.6 million, while Infrastructure Solutions segment’s backlog increased 13.1% to $312.6 million. Cost of sales surged 25% year over year to $297 million. Gross profit rose 7% to $99 million. Gross margin in the quarter was 25% compared with 28.1% in the year-ago quarter. The company reported operating profit of $9 million in the first quarter of 2026 compared with $20.5 million in the first quarter of 2025. Adjusted operating profit declined 19% year over year to $23.6 million in the quarter. Adjusted operating margin narrowed 280 basis points year over year to 6.0% in the quarter, reflecting a less favorable mix in legacy Infrastructure Solutions and higher costs. Management also cited expenses associated with ConExpo, a trade show held once every three years, as a meaningful drag on first-quarter profitability. Additional headwinds included freight, duty and tariffs, which the company pointed to as pressure points on margin. While Astec remained constructive on demand conditions, these near-term cost factors weighed on the pace of earnings conversion in the period. Materials Solutions delivered a sharp acceleration in sales, with net sales rising 70.6% year...

Caterpillar recently reported past first-quarter results that exceeded expectations, including a 22% sales jump and a record backlog across key segments despite geopolitical tensions. Beyond its well-known heavy machinery, the company’s growing role as a supplier to power-hungry data centers is becoming a material driver of its long-term prospects. Now we’ll explore how Caterpillar’s stronger-than-expected quarter and rising data center exposure may influence its investment narrative. This technology could replace computers: discover 28 stocks that are working to make quantum computing a reality. To own Caterpillar, you need to believe its core equipment and services business can keep converting strong infrastructure and mining demand, plus rising data center power needs, into resilient cash generation. The latest first quarter beat, with 22 percent sales growth and a record backlog, reinforces the near term catalyst of backlog conversion, while also highlighting a key risk: how quickly geopolitical tensions, tariffs, or weaker pricing could erode margins if conditions turn. The announcement that stood out most alongside these results is the AIP Corp alliance for the Monarch Compute Campus, which includes an order for 2 GW of fast response natural gas generators. This underscores how data center power projects are moving from pipeline to committed orders, directly tying into Caterpillar’s backlog story and its potential to offset softer pockets in traditional construction or resource markets. Yet, against this strength, investors should be aware that growing geopolitical and tariff risks could still weigh on... Read the full narrative on Caterpillar (it's free!) Caterpillar's narrative projects $89.5 billion revenue and $16.9 billion earnings by 2029. Uncover how Caterpillar's forecasts yield a $913.29 fair value, a 3% upside to its current price. Some of the most optimistic analysts were already assuming Caterpillar could reach about US$84.3 billion of revenue and US$14.4 billion of earnings by 2028, so this strong quarter and data center power momentum may either support those bullish views or prompt a rethink of how much risk from electrification, tariffs and competition you are willing to accept. Explore 7 other fair value estimates on Caterpillar - why the stock might be worth as much as $913.29! Don't just follow the ticker - dig into the data and buil...

Get insights on thousands of stocks from the global community of over 7 million individual investors at Simply Wall St. Caterpillar (CAT) just paired strong first quarter earnings with fresh multi gigawatt power contracts tied to AI data centers, putting its role in the sector’s rising electricity demand firmly in focus. See our latest analysis for Caterpillar. The stock has been volatile day to day, with a 3.37% 1 day share price decline. However, the 30 day share price return of 23.64% and the 1 year total shareholder return of very large reflect strong momentum linked to recent earnings, data center power contracts and ongoing buybacks. If the AI power build out theme has your attention, it can be worth scanning beyond Caterpillar to see which other infrastructure suppliers stand out in the 36 power grid technology and infrastructure stocks After a 1 year total shareholder return that is very large, a recent 23.64% 30 day run and a last close of $895.69 that now sits slightly above the average analyst price target, the key question is whether CAT still offers upside or if the AI power story is already fully priced in. According to the most widely followed narrative on Caterpillar, the fair value estimate of $319.93 sits far below the recent $895.69 share price, raising sharp questions about how much of the AI power demand story is already reflected in the stock. Read the complete narrative. Curious how a business with strong brand recognition ends up with a valuation gap this wide? The core narrative leans on measured revenue growth, steady margins and a future earnings multiple that is far lower than what the market is currently paying. Want to see which segment forecasts and profit assumptions pull the fair value all the way down into the $300 range? Result: Fair Value of $319.93 (OVERVALUED) Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what's behind the forecasts. However, if Caterpillar uses its scale to catch up on electrification and automation, or if infrastructure spending remains resilient, this cautious narrative could be challenged. Find out about the key risks to this Caterpillar narrative. With sentiment this mixed, it helps to move fast and test the story against the underlying data yourself, starting with the 1 key reward and 2 important warning signs in the 1 key reward and 2 important warning signs If CAT already sits in your portf...

Caterpillar Inc. CAT delivered a strong first-quarter 2026 performance, with both revenues and earnings rising year over year. The company witnessed volume growth across all segments, despite tariff headwinds. Both the top and bottom-line figures topped the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate, sending CAT shares up 8% following the results. Over the past year, CAT stock has gained 172.5%, outperforming the industry’s 154.4% growth. In comparison, the Zacks Industrial Products sector has gained 34.9% and the S&P 500 has risen 33.8%. It has also outpaced peers Komatsu KMTUY and Terex Corporation TEX, which returned 39.2% and 49.3%, respectively. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Before addressing how investors should position themselves in CAT stock, let’s take a closer look at the company’s quarterly performance and underlying fundamentals. Caterpillar reported revenues of roughly $17.4 billion in Q1 2026, up 22% year over year, driven primarily by a $2.3 billion increase in sales volume across segments. Pricing added $426 million, with currency tailwinds and Financial Products revenues also contributing. Higher dealer inventory build and increased end-user equipment demand supported volume growth across all three major segments. CAT ended the quarter with a record backlog of $62.7 billion. Cost of sales climbed 26% year over year due to higher manufacturing expenses, including the impact of tariffs. Adjusted operating margin narrowed to 18% from 18.3% in the first quarter of 2025. Despite the impact of tariffs, adjusted earnings per share increased 30.4% year over year to $5.54. This marked an acceleration from the 0.4% rise reported in the fourth quarter of 2025. Operating cash flow was around $1.9 billion in the first quarter of 2026 compared with $1.3 billion in the prior-year quarter. CAT ended the quarter with cash and equivalents of around $4.1 billion compared with the cash holding of around $9.98 billion at 2025-end. For 2026, Caterpillar expects low double-digit sales and revenue growth compared with 2025. Earlier, the company had projected year-over-year revenue growth near the upper end of its long-term 5-7% CAGR target. Adjusted operating margin is expected near the bottom of the targeted range, factoring in continued tariff pressures. The company, however, indicate margins would be higher than previous expectations. Caterpillar maintains i...