Caterpillar (CAT) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.Shares of this construction equipment company have returned +7.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.8% change. The Zacks Manufacturing - Construction and Mining industry, to which Caterpillar belongs, has gained 7.3% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be head ...

After a 51% rise in the stock price over the last year, Caterpillar (CAT 0.01%) investors have had a great year. However, management's guidance and Wall Street's analyst consensus suggest it may be about to pass a cyclical peak in earnings and cash flow.Wall Street estimates and cyclical upsidesFor example, the Wall Street consensus calls for Caterpillar's sales to grow by less than 1% in 2024 and its earnings per share to be $21.27 compared to $21.21 in 2023. Those kinds of estimates usually spell trouble ...

AleMasche72 Remember that little old regional banking crisis in March 2023? The S&P 500 bottomed out precisely a year ago as of this writing. March 13th of last year was a period of systemic problems across cyclical areas of the market. While banks were the focus, many Industrials sector firms were seen as susceptible to a global economic slowdown, too. Alas, the crisis was short-lived, and the SPX has returned 36% in the last 52 weeks. Among the outperformers over the past 12 months has been Caterpilla ...

Do billionaires like dividend stocks? Absolutely. Just take a look at the holdings of famous billionaire investors such as Warren Buffett and Ken Griffin. They're loaded with dividend stocks.Bill Gates stands out as another great example. Although he doesn't manage a public company or hedge fund like Buffett and Griffin do, he's donated a boatload of money to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. And over half of this charitable foundation's $42 billion portfolio is invested in these three dividend sto ...

The U.S. is undergoing an infrastructure boom, with projects across multiple states. This construction boost will spur a multi-year growth cycle in these top infrastructure stocks to buy.Over the years, concerns have reigned about the country’s aging infrastructure. In November 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to address this challenge. The law has spurred multiple projects across different states. To date, over 46,000 projects have been awarded funding.Thes ...

Predicting where cyclical companies will be in a year is difficult, but that doesn't mean investors can't look at various scenarios before deciding whether to invest. In the case of Caterpillar (CAT 0.46%), management's outlook for 2024 implies that its sales, profit, and cash flow may have peaked. However, its end markets may have different ideas.Slowing growthGiven the cyclicality of its revenue and earnings (meaning they vary greatly depending on growth conditions, notably in non-residential construction ...

Caterpillar's (CAT 0.82%) stock trades close to its recent all-time high, and the company is firing on all cylinders right now. Revenue and profit came in at record levels in 2023, demonstrating excellent pricing power throughout the year as its equipment resonates with customers. And management upgraded its medium-term targets for cash flow and profit margin. There's a lot to like about Caterpillar, but is it enough to make the stock a buy?Caterpillar's medium-term targetsManagement's guidance implicitly r ...

In the latest market close, Caterpillar (CAT) reached $336.70, with a +0.82% movement compared to the previous day. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.8%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.23%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 1.14%.Shares of the construction equipment company witnessed a gain of 8.54% over the previous month, beating the performance of the Industrial Products sector with its gain of 7.89% and the S&P 500's gain of 5.2%.Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance ...

Key PointsYou can see the writing on the wall pointing to what could be coming soon for construction stocks, particularly those enabling the infrastructure and energy industry to build itself out. Analysts at Goldman see a manufacturing boom, where MasTec stock will likely be called upon to help accommodate rising demand.Analysts know this and are currently screaming at you via their price targets and EPS projections.5 stocks we like better than NVIDIAAs everyone focuses on technology stocks and artificial ...

One Wall Street analyst is calling the top on heavy equipment makers, and investors are heeding the call. Shares of Caterpillar (CAT -2.22%) traded down about 3% on Tuesday afternoon after the stock was downgraded to in line from outperform.Souring on the sector after a nice run higherCaterpillar makes big, expensive machines used in construction, infrastructure development, and mining. Its products are ubiquitous and essential to the global economy, but sales tend to surge and fall along with current econo ...