Caterpillar Inc. (CAT)
NYSEIndustrialsAgricultural - MachinerySnapshot 2026-10-30
$622.75-3.81%
Close 2026-10-30 · 1-day change
NYSEIndustrialsAgricultural - MachinerySnapshot 2026-10-30
Research Workspace
Put CAT beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Construction Machinery & Heavy Transportation Equipment is in recovery. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
The reason to own it still holds.
View ThesisMiddle-of-the-pack quality for its industry.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation, margins.
View ManagementExpectations look reasonable — what the market is pricing in sits in line with or below what analysts forecast.
View ValuationThis stock is volatile — it swings about 2% on a typical day and fell roughly 42% in its worst 12-month stretch.
View RiskCaterpillar’s primary-segment sales growth is the core case, supported by strong financial performance. Revenue growth slowed from 24% in Q2 to 17% in Q3, despite another earnings beat. It trades at 25× P/E versus the 19× peer median; expectations look modest versus our view. The premium must be earned, especially as Q3 revenue growth slowed and sector trends weigh. Our model puts the next-quarter miss probability near 15%. Peer multiples imply a price about 21% below where it trades; our read remains intact. This read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-10-30. CAT is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 30 analysts currently covering CAT (as of Oct 2026).
Based on 10 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for CAT in the last 4 months.
Continue this research
Compare CAT with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAT Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 12 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-10-30. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Construction Machinery & Heavy Transportation Equipment — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put CAT next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Drive sales volume growth across primary segments
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-10-30. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $622.75
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $622.75.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Below average on quality vs scored peers
A second lens on the 12-month fair value: for companies that score high on measured quality (profitability, balance-sheet safety, earnings stability), this read trusts more of today's profit margins instead of averaging them toward their multi-year history the way the headline number does. Shown alongside the fair value above, not in place of it. A diagnostic, not a price target or a buy/sell signal.
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
2026 growth outlook and multiyear engine and turbine backlogs signal strong demand and sales visibility.
Advances: Drive sales volume growth across primary segments
Years-long generator backlog supports demand visibility despite the share-price decline.
Threatens: Drive sales volume growth across primary segments
Revenue miss despite earnings beat raises concern about sales growth; the headline alone does not establish a lasting trend.
Threatens: Manage operating profit margin amid cost pressures
Tariff costs and rising inventories pressure margins and demand despite reported earnings.
Threatens: Drive sales volume growth across primary segments
Oil price decline impacts sales volume growth potential.
Advances: Drive sales volume growth across primary segments
Reported $1 billion manufacturing investment expands capacity and supports future sales growth.
Advances: Drive sales volume growth across primary segments
North Carolina expansion adds capacity; dealership acquisition broadens distribution.
Fabick dealership acquisition expands Caterpillar's distribution footprint.
