FrançaisAre analysts right about Caterpillar Inc. (CAT)?
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Historical analyst accuracy
For Caterpillar Inc., we replayed every analyst price target of the past 12 months and measured the real outcome: 38% were profitable, average return +6% (218 calls). At 3 months: +1% average return (38% profitable). The higher the %, the more often analysts were right on this stock.
Most reliable analysts on this stock (past track record)
Their past track record on this stock (targets replayed against real prices) — not a forecast of what will happen.
| Analyst / broker | Calls i | % profitable i | Avg return i |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Suisse | 30 | 53% | +17% |
| Morgan Stanley | 26 | 4% | -23% |
| B of A Securities | 15 | 53% | +7% |
| Barclays | 14 | 14% | -1% |
| JP Morgan | 13 | 46% | +16% |
Valuation
Is Caterpillar Inc. overvalued, and is it a good time to buy Caterpillar Inc. right now? If you're wondering, here's a recap to make up your own mind: Caterpillar Inc.'s valuation vs its sector median, to weigh alongside analyst reliability (above) and past performance. Educational information, not buy advice.
The P/E (price ÷ earnings per share) = how many years of earnings you pay for the stock. The higher it is, the more growth the market expects — but the pricier the stock, so more vulnerable if growth disappoints. The forward P/E uses next year's expected earnings: lower than the current P/E = rising expected earnings. We compare it to the sector median to see whether the stock is expensive relative to its peers.
| Metric | Caterpillar Inc. | Sector median (Industrials) |
|---|---|---|
| P/E | 35.3 | 29.2 |
| Forward P/E | 25.3 | 19.5 |
| Net margin | 15% | 11% |
👉 Caterpillar Inc. trades above its sector median (35.3 vs 29.2) — the market expects higher growth; watch out for disappointment.
📖 P/E, PEG, margin…: see the glossary
💵 Dividend : Caterpillar Inc. pays about $6.04/share/yr → 0.61% yield. what is this?
Frequently asked questions
Is Caterpillar Inc. a buy right now?
The analyst consensus on Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) is "Hold" (0 bullish, 0 bearish calls over 12 months). This is not advice: historically, 38% of their targets on this stock turned out profitable over 1 year.
What is Caterpillar Inc.'s price target?
The median 12-month price target is $979 (+20% vs $817), ranging from $575 to $1,225 (26 analysts).
Are analysts accurate on Caterpillar Inc.?
Over 1 year, 38% of analyst targets on Caterpillar Inc. were profitable, for an average return of +6% (across 218 timestamped calls). This is JPI Invest's accuracy metric.
What is the Caterpillar Inc. stock forecast?
Analysts target a median of $979 within 12 months, i.e. +20% vs the current price. The most bullish targets $1,225, the most cautious $575.
What is the Caterpillar Inc. stock forecast for 2026 or long term (2030)?
Note: analyst targets are 12-month (median $979, +20%), NOT 2030. No reliable 5-10 year price forecast exists (« 2030 prediction » models are speculative). The most useful inputs: the 12-month median above, these analysts' historical accuracy (38%), and the stock's past trajectory.
Is Caterpillar Inc. overvalued?
Its P/E is 35.3, forward P/E 25.3. A forward P/E lower than the current P/E means earnings are expected to grow.
📊 See the full interactive analysis of Caterpillar Inc. →
What is JPI Invest?
JPI Invest aggregates analyst recommendations across the entire S&P 500 (plus the S&P MidCap 400), replays them against real prices and measures who predicts best — on results, not reputation. Instead of taking a price target at face value, you see each analyst's track record on each stock.
- 🏆 Analyst leaderboard by real reliability (beating their sector, not just riding the rally)
- 🎯 What to buy: 3 backtested methods over 6 years, from cautious to aggressive
- 💬 AI assistant: ask anything about any stock, with the numbers
- 📊 Portfolio tracking + 🔔 price alerts by email
⚠️ Educational information, not investment advice. Analyst price targets are 12-month and can be wrong. Data via Yahoo Finance, recomputed by JPI Invest.