Caterpillar (CAT) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market: Key Insights

In the latest trading session, Caterpillar (CAT) closed at $596.50, marking a -1.11% move from the previous day. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.35%. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 0.45%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.14%. Heading into today, shares of the construction equipment company had gained 7.12% over the past month, outpacing the Industrial Products sector's gain of 1.35% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.2%.The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Caterpillar in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is expected to report EPS of $4.52, down 12.06% from the prior-year quarter. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $17.9 billion, showing a 10.37% escalation compared to the year-ago quarter. For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $18.4 per share and a revenue of $66.11 billion, representing changes of -15.98% and +2.01%, respectively, from the prior year. Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Caterpillar. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability. Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system. Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.33% upward. Right now, Caterpillar possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). With respect to valuation, Caterpillar is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 32.78. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 13.95. It is also worth noting that CAT currently has a PEG ratio of 2.84. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. Manufacturing - Construction and Mining stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 3.81 based on yesterday's closing prices. The Manufacturing - Construction and Mining industry is part of the Industrial Products sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 196, finds itself in the bottom 21% echelons of all 250+ industries. The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1. Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions. Zacks Naming Top 10 Stocks for 2026Want to be tipped off early to our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2026? History suggests their performance could be sensational.From 2012 (when our Director of Research Sheraz Mian assumed responsibility for the portfolio) through November, 2025, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,530.8%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +570.3%.Now Sheraz is combing through 4,400 companies to handpick the best 10 tickers to buy and hold in 2026. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these stocks when they’re released on January 5. Be First to New Top 10 Stocks >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Caterpillar Inc. (CAT): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks