Analyst Consensus ?
ConsensusHold56 ratings
Bullish3155.4%
Neutral2137.5%
Bearish47.1%
Caterpillar Inc. · CAT · FY2026 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026
Caterpillar Raises 2026 Outlook as Backlog and Power Demand Strengthen
The quarter supports a constructive operating thesis: resilient demand, a record backlog, and raised guidance provide evidence for continued growth, particularly in power generation. The main counterweights are demand visibility beyond the current backlog, tariff and cost pressure, and execution of the planned capacity and product ramps.
Reported Before market openNYSEIndustrials
$376.11B market cap
100quality score
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensus
Reported EPS
$8.17
Consensus $6.22
EPS surprise
+31.4%
Reported versus consensus
Reported revenue
$20.54B
Consensus $19.34B
Revenue surprise
+6.2%
Reported versus consensus
Market reaction
prior-close to event-session close
Stock move
+5.6%
Event window
SPY move
+1.8%
Same window
Abnormal move
+3.8%
Stock minus SPY
Volume
2.1×
Versus trailing sessions
Subsequent drift
-11.1%
Up to 20 sessions
CATSPY benchmark
Ask FN2 about CAT FY2026 Q2
Transcript, numbers and history already loaded
Why did CAT rise 5.6% after beating EPS estimates in FY2026 Q2?What changed in CAT's guidance and outlook in FY2026 Q2?Give me the bull and bear case for CAT after FY2026 Q2 earnings.
Free account. Your question opens in FN2 with this report's transcript and numbers attached.
Transcript intelligence
What changed
Relative to the prior quarter, Caterpillar reported a larger backlog and stronger quarterly revenue, raised its full-year sales outlook to mid- to high-teens growth, and highlighted a 10-MW engine restart, expanded turbine capacity, and a Major Projects rental joint venture. The analysis also adds clearer execution and cost risks around capacity expansion, dealer inventory, freight, and tariffs.
Guidance delta
Management raised full-year 2026 sales guidance to mid- to high-teens growth and upgraded the margin and free-cash-flow outlook.
Key takeaways
- Q2 revenue reached a company-first $20.5 billion, up 24% year over year.
- Backlog increased to $72 billion, up 92% year over year, while adjusted operating margin reached 21.9%.
- Power-generation demand, construction orders, and mining equipment sales remained key demand supports.
- The 10-MW engine restart, capacity expansion, and Major Projects rental joint venture add execution priorities for the second half.
Management priorities
- Ramp the 10-MW medium-speed gas engine platform toward 1.5 GW, with shipments beginning in Q4.
- Expand turbine capacity and increase throughput through second-half capacity projects.
- Develop the Major Projects rental joint venture and integrate Skycatch and RPMGlobal technologies into service offerings.
Follow CAT with an agent that reads every filing, transcript, and price print. Free to start.
Try FN2 freeEarnings History
Estimate
Beat
Miss
Match
Analyst 52W Price Targets
$816.5Previous close
$164Low
$626.43Average
$1,165High
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted previous close from FN2's market snapshot as of Sep 22, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley | Equal Weight | Underweight | Upgrade | May 1, 2026 |
| HSBC Securities | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Nov 6, 2025 |
| Erste Group | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Oct 3, 2025 |
| Evercore ISI Group | Outperform | In Line | Upgrade | Aug 19, 2025 |
| Melius Research | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Jul 9, 2025 |
| UBS | Neutral | Sell | Upgrade | May 16, 2025 |
| Baird | Outperform | Neutral | Upgrade | May 13, 2025 |
| Oppenheimer | Outperform | Perform | Upgrade | May 1, 2025 |
| JP Morgan | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Oct 14, 2024 |
| Truist Securities | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 9, 2024 |
| Citigroup | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 9, 2024 |
| B of A Securities | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Sep 30, 2024 |
| Barclays | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Aug 7, 2024 |
| HSBC | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Apr 30, 2024 |
| TD Cowen | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Stifel | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Apr 26, 2024 |
| Goldman Sachs | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Apr 16, 2024 |
| Wells Fargo | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Feb 6, 2024 |
| Bernstein | Market Perform | Market Perform | Maintain | Dec 21, 2023 |
| Tigress Financial | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Nov 8, 2023 |
| Credit Suisse | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Aug 2, 2023 |
| DA Davidson | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | May 9, 2023 |
| Deutsche Bank | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Apr 12, 2023 |
| Cowen & Co. | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Jul 7, 2022 |
| Jefferies | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Mar 8, 2022 |
| OTR Global | Mixed | Positive | Downgrade | Jul 14, 2021 |
| BMO Capital | Market Perform | Market Perform | Maintain | Apr 30, 2021 |
| Wolfe Research | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Apr 13, 2021 |
| Vertical Research | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jan 20, 2021 |
| CFRA | Sell | Sell | Maintain | Apr 28, 2020 |
| Stephens & Co. | Underweight | Underweight | Maintain | Apr 9, 2020 |
| RBC Capital | Sector Perform | Sector Perform | Maintain | Feb 3, 2020 |
| Daiwa Capital | Outperform | Neutral | Upgrade | Jan 21, 2020 |
| Standpoint Research | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Dec 12, 2019 |
| Bank of America | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Nov 6, 2019 |
| Citi | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Sep 24, 2019 |
| Buckingham Research | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Jul 25, 2019 |
| DZ Bank | Hold | Sell | Upgrade | Oct 25, 2018 |
| Argus Research | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Aug 13, 2018 |
| Argus | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Aug 13, 2018 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Aug 7, 2018 |
| Buckingham | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Apr 11, 2018 |
| Berenberg | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jan 18, 2018 |
| Seaport Global | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Sep 6, 2017 |
| Atlantic Equities | Neutral | Underweight | Upgrade | Aug 3, 2017 |
| William Blair | Market Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Sep 25, 2015 |
| Macquarie | Underperform | Underperform | Maintain | Sep 25, 2015 |
| Axiom Capital | Sell | Sell | Maintain | Sep 24, 2015 |
| Societe Generale | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Sep 22, 2015 |
| Longbow Research | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Jan 28, 2015 |
| ISI Group | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Aug 7, 2014 |
| Susquehanna | Neutral | Positive | Downgrade | Jul 25, 2014 |
| Raymond James | Market Perform | Market Perform | Maintain | Jul 25, 2014 |
| PiperJaffray | Overweight | Neutral | Upgrade | Jan 18, 2013 |
| Piper Sandler | Overweight | Neutral | Upgrade | Jan 18, 2013 |
| Bank oferica | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Apr 16, 2012 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted previous close $816.5. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needham | Analyst unavailable | $980 | $815.56 | +20.0% | Sep 10, 2026 |
| D.A. Davidson | Analyst unavailable | $882 | $870.11 | +8.0% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $900 | $871.08 | +10.2% | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Truist Financial | Analyst unavailable | $980 | $892.07 | +20.0% | Aug 5, 2026 |
| Bernstein | Chad Dillard | $1,002 | $894.52 | +22.7% | Aug 5, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $925 | $897.49 | +13.3% | Aug 5, 2026 |
| Truist Financial | Analyst unavailable | $1,225 | $900.68 | +50.0% | Aug 5, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Mircea Dobre | $970 | $876.54 | +18.8% | Aug 5, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Seth Weber | $897 | $876.54 | +9.9% | Aug 5, 2026 |
| Oppenheimer | Noah Kaye | $1,118 | $876.54 | +36.9% | Aug 4, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Mircea Dobre | $900 | $840.85 | +10.2% | Jul 29, 2026 |
| Oppenheimer | Analyst unavailable | $1,105 | $952.41 | +35.3% | Jul 13, 2026 |
| Truist Financial | Analyst unavailable | $1,218 | $991.41 | +49.2% | Jul 2, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $1,155 | $1,022.28 | +41.5% | Jun 23, 2026 |
| UBS | Steven Fisher | $900 | $865.36 | +10.2% | Jun 2, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI | David Raso | $1,103 | $901.72 | +35.1% | May 11, 2026 |
| D.A. Davidson | Analyst unavailable | $845 | $885.34 | +3.5% | May 4, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $1,165 | $885.99 | +42.7% | May 1, 2026 |
| Truist Financial | Jamie Cook | $1,043 | $899.2 | +27.7% | May 1, 2026 |
| Oppenheimer | Kristen Owen | $980 | $890.11 | +20.0% | May 1, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $800 | $890.11 | -2.0% | May 1, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $915 | $890.11 | +12.1% | May 1, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $960 | $798.4 | +17.6% | Apr 21, 2026 |
| Truist Financial | Analyst unavailable | $920 | $791.93 | +12.7% | Apr 20, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $430 | $777.2 | -47.3% | Apr 15, 2026 |
| Bernstein | Chad Dillard | $769 | $787.07 | -5.8% | Apr 9, 2026 |
| Williams Trading | Michael Feniger | $825 | $716.87 | +1.0% | Mar 10, 2026 |
| Industrial Alliance Securities | Analyst unavailable | $785 | $704.82 | -3.9% | Mar 9, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Angel Castillo | $425 | $698.2 | -47.9% | Feb 3, 2026 |
| Truist Financial | Jamie Cook | $786 | $681.29 | -3.7% | Feb 2, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $677 | $680.54 | -17.1% | Feb 2, 2026 |
| D.A. Davidson | Michael Shlisky | $650 | $668.04 | -20.4% | Feb 2, 2026 |
| Oppenheimer | Analyst unavailable | $729 | $665.24 | -10.7% | Jan 30, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $805 | $665.24 | -1.4% | Jan 30, 2026 |
| Bernstein | Analyst unavailable | $678 | $665.24 | -17.0% | Jan 30, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $756 | $665.24 | -7.4% | Jan 30, 2026 |
| William Blair | Analyst unavailable | $735 | $665.24 | -10.0% | Jan 30, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $625 | $665.24 | -23.5% | Jan 30, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Sabahat Khan | $658 | $665.24 | -19.4% | Jan 30, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $750 | $642.77 | -8.1% | Jan 27, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $610 | $635.03 | -25.3% | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $702 | $648.41 | -14.0% | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Oppenheimer | Analyst unavailable | $700 | $638.49 | -14.3% | Jan 20, 2026 |
| Bernstein | Analyst unavailable | $630 | $565.83 | -22.8% | Dec 19, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $395 | $594.5 | -51.6% | Dec 10, 2025 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $675 | $553.55 | -17.3% | Nov 13, 2025 |
| HSBC | Helen Fang | $660 | $569.15 | -19.2% | Nov 5, 2025 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $581 | $570.59 | -28.8% | Nov 4, 2025 |
| D.A. Davidson | Analyst unavailable | $569 | $569.67 | -30.3% | Nov 3, 2025 |
| Truist Financial | Analyst unavailable | $729 | $585.48 | -10.7% | Oct 30, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Angel Castillo | $380 | $590.42 | -53.5% | Oct 30, 2025 |
| Bernstein | Analyst unavailable | $557 | $585.49 | -31.8% | Oct 30, 2025 |
| Barclays | Adam Seiden | $555 | $585.49 | -32.0% | Oct 30, 2025 |
| Barclays | Adam Seiden | $485 | $527.08 | -40.6% | Oct 20, 2025 |
| Bernstein | Chad Dillard | $502 | $504.76 | -38.5% | Oct 14, 2025 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $506 | $491.3 | -38.0% | Oct 13, 2025 |
| Truist Financial | Analyst unavailable | $582 | $486.71 | -28.7% | Oct 8, 2025 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $540 | $450.66 | -33.9% | Sep 17, 2025 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $500 | $419.04 | -38.8% | Aug 29, 2025 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $495 | $419.04 | -39.4% | Aug 29, 2025 |
| Oppenheimer | Analyst unavailable | $480 | $434.91 | -41.2% | Aug 29, 2025 |
| UBS | Steven Fisher | $357 | $353.58 | -56.3% | May 16, 2025 |
| Oppenheimer | Kristen Owen | $395 | $313.96 | -51.6% | May 1, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Angel Castillo | $283 | $290.14 | -65.3% | Apr 16, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Angel Castillo | $300 | $371.44 | -63.3% | Jan 31, 2025 |
| Evercore ISI | David Raso | $365 | $363 | -55.3% | Jan 13, 2025 |
| Truist Financial | Jamie Cook | $471 | $388.39 | -42.3% | Dec 19, 2024 |
| Truist Financial | Jamie Cook | $454 | $379.24 | -44.4% | Oct 30, 2024 |
| Morgan Stanley | Angel Castillo | $332 | $402.02 | -59.3% | Oct 14, 2024 |
| Bank of America Securities | Michael Feniger | $376 | $327.64 | -53.9% | Aug 7, 2024 |
| Truist Financial | Jamie Cook | $399 | $330.1 | -51.1% | Aug 7, 2024 |
| Goldman Sachs | Jerry Revich | $408 | $326.44 | -50.0% | Aug 6, 2024 |
| Tigress Financial | Ivan Feinseth | $345 | $345 | -57.7% | May 7, 2024 |
| HSBC | Helen Fang | $360 | $349.8 | -55.9% | Apr 30, 2024 |
| Truist Financial | Jamie Cook | $390 | $342.95 | -52.2% | Mar 14, 2024 |
| J.P. Morgan | Tami Zakaria | $320 | $315.09 | -60.8% | Feb 5, 2024 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Stanley Elliott | $293 | $296.88 | -64.1% | Dec 29, 2023 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Stanley Elliott | $300 | $242.16 | -63.3% | Oct 31, 2023 |
| Citigroup | Analyst unavailable | $260 | $247.76 | -68.2% | Feb 6, 2023 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $240 | $248.73 | -70.6% | Feb 1, 2023 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $228 | $248.61 | -72.1% | Jan 10, 2023 |
| Cowen & Co. | Cowen Cowen | $264 | $232.19 | -67.7% | Dec 16, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $190 | $237.82 | -76.7% | Dec 14, 2022 |
| UBS | Steven Fisher | $230 | $219.34 | -71.8% | Oct 31, 2022 |
| Robert W. Baird | Mircea Dobre | $242 | $212.14 | -70.4% | Oct 27, 2022 |
| Tigress Financial | Analyst unavailable | $266 | $166.72 | -67.4% | Sep 30, 2022 |
| Credit Suisse | Jamie Cook | $236 | $196.84 | -71.1% | Aug 15, 2022 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $225 | $183.82 | -72.4% | Aug 3, 2022 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $205 | $183.51 | -74.9% | Aug 3, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $142 | $176.41 | -82.6% | Jul 18, 2022 |
| Deutsche Bank | Analyst unavailable | $227 | $173.98 | -72.2% | Jul 13, 2022 |
| Cowen & Co. | Analyst unavailable | $225 | $179.61 | -72.4% | Jul 7, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $161 | $187.83 | -80.3% | Jun 23, 2022 |
| Tigress Financial | Ivan Feinseth | $282 | $195.63 | -65.5% | May 20, 2022 |
| Argus Research | John Eade | $235 | $212.07 | -71.2% | May 3, 2022 |
| Robert W. Baird | Mircea Dobre | $280 | $210.54 | -65.7% | May 1, 2022 |
| Deutsche Bank | Nicole Deblase | $240 | $210.54 | -70.6% | Apr 30, 2022 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $230 | $210.96 | -71.8% | Apr 29, 2022 |
| Deutsche Bank | Nicole Deblase | $250 | $229.92 | -69.4% | Apr 19, 2022 |
| UBS | Steven Fisher | $250 | $216.05 | -69.4% | Apr 11, 2022 |
| Jefferies | Stephen Volkmann | $260 | $216.08 | -68.2% | Mar 16, 2022 |
| Wells Fargo | Seth Weber | $231 | $215.44 | -71.7% | Mar 14, 2022 |
| Evercore ISI | David Raso | $255 | $191.95 | -68.8% | Feb 21, 2022 |
| Tigress Financial | Ivan Feinseth | $278 | $198.41 | -66.0% | Feb 6, 2022 |
| Robert W. Baird | Mircea Dobre | $290 | $228.76 | -64.5% | Jan 18, 2022 |
| Citigroup | Timothy Thein | $230 | $225.9 | -71.8% | Jan 13, 2022 |
| Barclays | Adam Seiden | $225 | $225.9 | -72.4% | Jan 13, 2022 |
| Bernstein | Chad Dillard | $240 | $201.17 | -70.6% | Dec 22, 2021 |
| Morgan Stanley | Courtney Yakavonis | $164 | $203.14 | -79.9% | Dec 9, 2021 |
| BMO Capital | Joel Tiss | $230 | $206.2 | -71.8% | Aug 6, 2021 |
| Wolfe Research | Greg Badishkanian | $265 | $203.05 | -67.5% | Aug 2, 2021 |
| Goldman Sachs | Jerry Revich | $264 | $237.52 | -67.7% | May 27, 2021 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Stanley Elliott | $245 | $224.62 | -70.0% | May 3, 2021 |
Track every rating change on CAT the moment it posts. Free to start.
Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationCaterpillar Inc., a global enterprise founded in 1925 and headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois (having previously operated as Caterpillar Tractor Co. until its rebranding in 1986), is a premier manufacturer and vendor of heavy construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas power units, and industrial gas turbines across the world. The company's extensive offerings are organized into several operational divisions: Construction Industries: This segment delivers a broad spectrum of machinery for construction projects, including asphalt pavers, versatile backhoe and skid steer loaders, various sizes of excavators (from compact to heavy-duty), compactors, road-building equipment like cold planers and motorgraders, pipelayers, site preparation tractors, telehandlers, and utility vehicles, alongside a range of wheel loaders and track-type equipment.…
Historical context
All CAT earningsIndustrials peers this season
Latest reports in the same sector| Company | Quarter | EPS surprise | Market move | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPS Forgent Power Solutions, Inc. | FY2026 Q4 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +4.3% | +9.5% | Forgent Power Solutions pairs record results with an aggressive FY27 buildout |
| CPRT Copart, Inc. | FY2026 Q4 · Calendar Q3 2026 | -8.7% | -2.6% | Copart pairs international growth with ACV investment amid higher costs |
| SUNB Sunbelt Rentals Holdings Inc | FY2027 Q1 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +19.2% | +5.9% | Sunbelt raises FY27 outlook as specialty rental demand accelerates |
| FRO Frontline Plc | FY2026 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +8.0% | +1.0% | Frontline posts a record quarter as tanker rates remain elevated |
| DCI Donaldson Company, Inc. | FY2026 Q4 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +1.8% | +2.1% | Donaldson posts record FY26 and targets further growth |
Latest beats and misses
Who reports nextBeat on EPS
- FPSFY2026 Q4 · September 15, 2026+4.3% EPS+9.5% move
- TCOMFY2026 Q2 · September 15, 2026+22.3% EPS+3.0% move
- KRFY2026 Q2 · September 11, 2026+2.8% EPS+2.7% move
- ADBEFY2026 Q3 · September 10, 2026+0.8% EPS+1.4% move
- ORCLFY2027 Q1 · September 10, 2026+10.3% EPS-1.7% move
- CASYFY2027 Q1 · September 8, 2026+8.7% EPS-14.2% move
Get the CAT recap when the next report posts
One email per quarter with the scorecard, the market reaction and what changed on the call. No account needed.
Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-08-07T20:10:41.301296+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-09-09T01:23:14.388487+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-09-22T08:50:52.202628+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-09-22T08:50:52.199775+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated . For educational purposes only; not investment advice.