Caterpillar missed both earnings and revenue expectations for the third quarter. Lower-than-expected end user demand took a toll on its quarterly performance.
The construction machinery and equipment company reported Q3 adjusted earnings of $2.66 a share, which is well below analysts’ expectation of $2.83 (based on Zacks consensus estimate).
Revenue for the quarter fell -6% year-over-year to $12.8 billion, compared to analysts’ estimate of $13.4 billion (based on Zacks consensus estimate).
Volume faced headwinds as dealers lowered inventory by $400 million in the reported quarter, after having increased inventories by $800 million in the year-ago quarter. End-user demand turned out to be lower than anticipated.
Sales at each of Construction Industries, Resource Industries, Energy & transportation, and Other segments declined by -7%, -12%, -2%, and -2% respectively from the prior year quarter.
For the fourth quarter, Caterpillar is expecting end-user demand to remain flat on global economic uncertainty.
For the full-year 2019, Caterpillar lowered its projection of adjusted earnings per share to a range of to $10.59-$11.09, from the prior guidance of $11.75-$12.75. Including 31 cents per share discrete tax benefit related to U.S. tax reform, the earnings guidance is at $10.90-$11.40. Caterpillar anticipates modesty lower sales in 2019.
Sergey Savastiouk, Ph.D. has a degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow University and has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor, manager, and mathematician. His professional expertise is in applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, system and pattern analysis, and software and hardware system integration. He has served as the CEO of several hi-tech start-up companies and nonprofit organizations, which has given him proven capabilities in business strategy for high-tech start-up companies, market assessment, company formation, team building, product development, marketing, and sales. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines on related fields. As a retail investor, he spent 15 years developing his proprietary trading and quantitative algorithms (now Tickeron’s A.I.), which brought him significant returns in trading the stock market. His current work and goal in founding Tickeron is to bring professional, sophisticated stock market analysis capabilities to retail investors via an easy-to-use interface.
Moving higher for three straight days is viewed as a bullish sign. Keep an eye on this stock for future growth. Considering data from situations where CAT advanced for three days, in 279 of 378 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 74%.
The RSI Indicator demonstrates that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 2 days, which means it's wise to expect a price bounce in the near future.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 1 day, which means it's wise to expect a price bounce in the near future.
CAT may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 205 of 306 cases where CAT Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 67%.
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on October 08, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on CAT as a result. In 37 of 72 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 51%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for CAT turned negative on October 09, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 44 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In 23 of the 44 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at 52%.
CAT moved below its 50-day moving average on October 07, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
The 10-day moving average for CAT crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on October 13, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In 9 of 14 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 64%.
The 50-day moving average for CAT moved below the 200-day moving average on October 21, 2026. This could be a long-term bearish signal for the stock as the stock shifts to an downward trend.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where CAT declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 57%.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 19 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 46 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating well-balanced risk and returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 80, placing this stock slightly better than average.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 50 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 58 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 65 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. CAT’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 89 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: CAT's P/B Ratio (14.543) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (2.407). P/E Ratio (26.290) is within average values for comparable stocks, (3.377). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.435) is also within normal values, averaging (1.745). Dividend Yield (0.011) settles around the average of (0.017) among similar stocks. CAT's P/S Ratio (4.892) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (1.169).
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
a manufacturer of mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines
Industry TrucksConstructionFarmMachinery