Caterpillar Reports First-Quarter 2026 Results

• First-quarter 2026 sales and revenues increased 22% to $17.4 billion
• First-quarter 2026 profit per share of $5.47; adjusted profit per share of $5.54   
• Deployed $5.7 billion of cash for share repurchases and dividends in the first quarter

  IRVING, Texas, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) announced first-quarter 2026 results.

"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. "Solid sales and revenues growth, combined with robust order activity, demonstrate the strength of our business and our focus on solving our customers' toughest challenges. A record backlog provides a strong foundation for continued positive momentum."

Sales and revenues for the first quarter of 2026 were $17.4 billion, a 22% increase compared with $14.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily due to higher sales volume of $2.3 billion and favorable price realization of $426 million.

Operating profit margin was 17.7% for the first quarter of 2026, compared with 18.1% for the first quarter of 2025. Adjusted operating profit margin was 18.0% for the first quarter of 2026, compared with 18.3% for the first quarter of 2025. First-quarter 2026 profit per share was $5.47, compared with first-quarter 2025 profit per share of $4.20. Adjusted profit per share in the first quarter of 2026 was $5.54, compared with first-quarter 2025 adjusted profit per share of $4.25. For the first quarter of 2026 and 2025, adjusted operating profit margin and adjusted profit per share excluded restructuring costs.

For the first quarter of 2026, enterprise operating cash flow was $1.9 billion, and the company ended the first quarter with $4.1 billion of enterprise cash. In the quarter, the company deployed $5.0 billion of cash for repurchases of Caterpillar common stock and $0.7 billion of cash for dividends.

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS

Consolidated Sales and Revenues

Consolidated Sales and Revenues Comparison

First Quarter 2026 vs. First Quarter 2025 

To access this chart, go to https://investors.caterpillar.com/financials/quarterly-results/default.aspx for the downloadable version of Caterpillar first-quarter 2026 earnings.  

The chart above graphically illustrates reasons for the change in consolidated sales and revenues between the first quarter of 2025 (at left) and the first quarter of 2026 (at right). Caterpillar management utilizes these charts internally to visually communicate with the company's board of directors and employees.

Total sales and revenues for the first quarter of 2026 were $17.415 billion, an increase of $3.166 billion, or 22%, compared with $14.249 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily due to higher sales volume of $2.3 billion and favorable price realization of $426 million. Higher sales volume was mainly driven by the impact from changes in dealer inventories and higher sales of equipment to end users. Dealer inventory increased more during the first quarter of 2026 than during the first quarter of 2025.

Sales were higher across the three primary segments.

Consolidated Operating Profit

Consolidated Operating Profit Comparison

First Quarter 2026 vs. First Quarter 2025 

To access this chart, go to https://investors.caterpillar.com/financials/quarterly-results/default.aspx for the downloadable version of Caterpillar first-quarter 2026 earnings.  

The chart above graphically illustrates reasons for the change in consolidated operating profit between the first quarter of 2025 (at left) and the first quarter of 2026 (at right). Caterpillar management utilizes these charts internally to visually communicate with the company's board of directors and employees. The bar titled Other includes consolidating adjustments and Machinery, Power & Energy's other operating (income) expenses.

Operating profit for the first quarter of 2026 was $3.085 billion, an increase of $506 million, or 20%, compared with $2.579 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was mainly due to the profit impact of higher sales volume of $940 million and favorable price realization of $426 million. This was partially offset by unfavorable manufacturing costs of $710 million and higher selling, general and administrative (SG&A) and research and development (R&D) expenses of $225 million. Unfavorable manufacturing costs largely reflected the impact of higher tariff costs. The increase in SG&A/R&D expenses was primarily driven by higher compensation expenses.

Other Profit/Loss and Tax Items

• Other income (expense) in the first quarter of 2026 was income of $260 million, compared with income of $107 million in the first quarter of 2025. The change was primarily driven by favorable impacts from foreign currency, total return swap contracts and commodity hedges.
  
  
  
  
• The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2026 was 20.9% compared to 22.3% for the first quarter of 2025. Excluding the discrete items discussed below, the global estimated annual effective tax rate was 23.0% for the first quarter of 2026 and 2025.
  
  
  
  A discrete tax benefit of $68 million was recorded in the first quarter of 2026, compared with a $17 million benefit in the first quarter of 2025, for the settlement of stock-based compensation awards with associated tax deductions in excess of cumulative U.S. GAAP compensation expense.
  
  
  
  Please see a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in the appendix on pages 12 and 13.

Power & Energy's total sales were $7.031 billion in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of $1.248 billion, or 22%, compared with $5.783 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily due to higher sales volume of $840 million and higher inter-segment sales of $189 million.

• Power Generation – Sales increased in large reciprocating engines and in turbines and turbine-related services, primarily data center applications.
• Oil and Gas –  Sales increased in reciprocating engines used in gas compression applications. Sales also increased in turbines and turbine-related services.
• Industrial –  Sales increased primarily in EAME and Asia/Pacific.

Power & Energy's segment profit was $1.450 billion in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of $162 million, or 13%, compared with $1.288 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was mainly due to the profit impact of higher sales volume of $435 million and favorable price realization of $108 million, partially offset by unfavorable manufacturing costs of $346 million. Unfavorable manufacturing costs primarily reflected the impact of higher tariff costs.

Construction Industries' total sales were $7.161 billion in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of $1.977 billion, or 38%, compared with $5.184 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The increase in sales was mainly due to higher sales volume of $1.5 billion and favorable price realization of $356 million. Higher sales volume was primarily driven by the impact from changes in dealer inventories. Dealer inventory increased during the first quarter of 2026, compared with a slight decrease during the first quarter of 2025.

• In North America, sales increased due to higher sales volume and favorable price realization. Higher sales volume was mainly driven by the impact from changes in dealer inventories.
• Sales increased in Latin America mainly due to higher sales volume and favorable currency impacts primarily related to the Brazilian real. Higher sales volume was mainly driven by the impact from changes in dealer inventories.
• In EAME, sales increased primarily due to higher sales volume and favorable currency impacts mainly related to the euro. Higher sales volume was primarily driven by the impact from changes in dealer inventories.
• Sales increased in Asia/Pacific mainly due to favorable price realization and favorable currency impacts primarily related to the Australian dollar. 

Construction Industries' segment profit was $1.535 billion in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of $511 million, or 50%, compared with $1.024 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily due to the profit impact of higher sales volume of $505 million and favorable price realization of $356 million, partially offset by unfavorable manufacturing costs of $362 million. Unfavorable manufacturing costs largely reflected the impact of higher tariff costs.

Resource Industries' total sales were $3.797 billion in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of $136 million, or 4%, compared with $3.661 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily due to higher sales volume of $85 million and favorable currency impacts of $78 million mainly related to the Australian dollar. Higher sales volume was primarily driven by higher sales of equipment to end users.

• Mining, Heavy Construction and Quarry & Aggregates – Sales increased primarily due to higher sales of equipment to end users in Mining.
• Rail – Sales increased in rail services.

Resource Industries' segment profit was $378 million in the first quarter of 2026, a decrease of $245 million, or 39%, compared with $623 million in the first quarter of 2025. The decrease was mainly due to unfavorable manufacturing costs. Unfavorable manufacturing costs largely reflected the impact of higher tariff costs.

Financial Products' segment revenues were $1.096 billion in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of $89 million, or 9%, compared with $1.007 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily due to a favorable impact from higher average earning assets across all regions.

Financial Products' segment profit was $245 million in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of $30 million, or 14%, compared with $215 million in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was mainly due to a favorable impact from higher average earning assets of $40 million and a favorable impact from higher margins at Insurance Services of $9 million, partially offset by higher SG&A expenses of $22 million.

At the end of the first quarter of 2026, past dues at Cat Financial were 1.39%, compared with 1.58% at the end of the first quarter of 2025. Write-offs, net of recoveries, were $29 million for the first quarter of 2026, compared with $20 million for the first quarter of 2025. As of March 31, 2026, Cat Financial's allowance for credit losses totaled $283 million, or 0.86% of finance receivables, compared with $284 million, or 0.86% of finance receivables at December 31, 2025.

Corporate Items and Eliminations

Expense for corporate items and eliminations was $329 million in the first quarter of 2026, a decrease of $86 million from the first quarter of 2025, primarily driven by favorable impacts of segment reporting methodology differences and decreased expenses due to timing differences, partially offset by higher corporate costs and an unfavorable change in fair value adjustments related to deferred compensation plans.

Notes

i.   Glossary of terms is included on the Caterpillar website at https://investors.caterpillar.com/overview/default.aspx.

ii.  Sales of equipment to end users is demonstrated by the company's Rolling 3 Month Retail Sales Statistics filed in a Form 8-K on Thursday, Apr. 30, 2026.

iii. Information on non-GAAP financial measures is included in the appendix on pages 12 and 13.

iv. Some amounts within this report are rounded to the millions or billions and may not add.

v.  Caterpillar will conduct a teleconference and live webcast, with a slide presentation, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Central Time on Thursday, Apr. 30, 2026, to discuss its 2026 first-quarter results. The accompanying slides will be available before the webcast on the Caterpillar website at https://investors.caterpillar.com/events-presentations/default.aspx. 

About Caterpillar

For more than a century, Caterpillar has built a better, more sustainable world. With 2025 sales and revenues of $67.6 billion, Caterpillar Inc. is shaping the future as the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Backed by one of the largest independent global dealer networks and financing services through Cat Financial, the company's primary business segments: Power & Energy, Construction Industries and Resource Industries are solving customers' toughest challenges through commercial excellence and advanced technology, driven by a highly skilled, dedicated global team. Learn more at caterpillar.com.

Caterpillar's latest financial results are also available online:

https://investors.caterpillar.com/overview/default.aspx

https://investors.caterpillar.com/financials/quarterly-results/default.aspx (live broadcast/replays of quarterly conference call)

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release relate to future events and expectations and are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe," "estimate," "will be," "will," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "forecast," "target," "guide," "project," "intend," "could," "should" or other similar words or expressions often identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding our outlook, projections, forecasts or trend descriptions. These statements do not guarantee future performance and speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.

Caterpillar's actual results may differ materially from those described or implied in our forward-looking statements based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to: (i) global and regional economic conditions and economic conditions in the industries we serve; (ii) commodity price changes, material price increases, fluctuations in demand for our products or significant shortages of material; (iii) government monetary or fiscal policies; (iv) political and economic risks, commercial instability and events beyond our control in the countries in which we operate; (v) international trade policies and their impact on demand for our products and our competitive position, including the imposition of new tariffs or changes in existing tariff rates; (vi) our ability to develop, produce and market quality products that meet our customers' needs; (vii) the impact of the highly competitive environment in which we operate on our sales and pricing; (viii) information technology security threats and computer crime; (ix) inventory management decisions and sourcing practices of our dealers and our OEM customers; (x) a failure to realize, or a delay in realizing, all of the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; (xi) union disputes or other employee relations issues; (xii) adverse effects of unexpected events; (xiii) disruptions or volatility in global financial markets limiting our sources of liquidity or the liquidity of our customers, dealers and suppliers; (xiv) failure to maintain our credit ratings and potential resulting increases to our cost of borrowing and adverse effects on our cost of funds, liquidity, competitive position and access to capital markets; (xv) our Financial Products segment's risks associated with the financial services industry; (xvi) changes in interest rates or market liquidity conditions; (xvii) an increase in delinquencies, repossessions or net losses of Cat Financial's customers; (xviii) currency fluctuations; (xix) our or Cat Financial's compliance with financial and other restrictive covenants in debt agreements; (xx) increased pension plan funding obligations; (xxi) alleged or actual violations of trade or anti-corruption laws and regulations; (xxii) additional tax expense or exposure, including the impact of U.S. tax reform; (xxiii) significant legal proceedings, claims, lawsuits or government investigations; (xxiv) new regulations or changes in financial services regulations; (xxv) compliance with environmental laws and regulations; (xxvi) catastrophic events, including global pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic; and (xxvii) other factors described in more detail in Caterpillar's Forms 10-Q, 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

APPENDIX

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

The following definitions are provided for the non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures have no standardized meaning prescribed by U.S. GAAP and therefore are unlikely to be comparable to the calculation of similar measures for other companies. Management does not intend these items to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the related GAAP measures.

The company believes it is important to separately quantify the profit impact of one significant item in order for the company's results to be meaningful to readers. This item consists of (i) restructuring costs. The company does not consider this item indicative of earnings from ongoing business activities and believes the non-GAAP measure provides investors with useful perspective on underlying business results and trends and aids with assessing the company's period-over-period results. The company intends to discuss adjusted profit per share for the fourth quarter and full-year 2026, excluding mark-to-market gains or losses for remeasurement of pension and other postemployment benefit plans.

Reconciliations of adjusted results to the most directly comparable GAAP measure are as follows: