Caterpillar (CAT) Gains As Market Dips: What You Should Know

Caterpillar (CAT) closed the most recent trading day at $341.01, moving +0.74% from the previous trading session. The stock outperformed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 1.78%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.99%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 2.61%.Shares of the construction equipment company have depreciated by 5.67% over the course of the past month, underperforming the Industrial Products sector's loss of 5.1% and the S&P 500's loss of 3.48%.Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Caterpillar in its upcoming release. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $4.32, showcasing a 22.86% downward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $14.65 billion, down 7.29% from the prior-year quarter.Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $19.64 per share and revenue of $63.29 billion, indicating changes of -10.32% and -2.34%, respectively, compared to the previous year.Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Caterpillar. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team 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.The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 2.75% fall in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Caterpillar is holding a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell) right now.Looking at its valuation, Caterpillar is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 17.23. This represents a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 18.27.It's also important to note that CAT currently trades at a PEG ratio of 1.83. 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. The Manufacturing - Construction and Mining industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.03 as trading concluded yesterday.The Manufacturing - Construction and Mining industry is part of the Industrial Products sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 183, this industry ranks in the bottom 28% of all industries, numbering over 250.The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.Only $1 to See All Zacks' Buys and SellsWe're not kidding.Several years ago, we shocked our members by offering them 30-day access to all our picks for the total sum of only $1. No obligation to spend another cent.Thousands have taken advantage of this opportunity. Thousands did not - they thought there must be a catch. Yes, we do have a reason. We want you to get acquainted with our portfolio services like Surprise Trader, Stocks Under $10, Technology Innovators,and more, that closed 256 positions with double- and triple-digit gains in 2024 alone.See Stocks Now >>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