CAT Analyst Ratings
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) operates in the Industrials sector, specifically the Agricultural - Machinery industry, with a market capitalization near $355.97B, listed on NYSE, employing roughly 118,000 people, carrying a beta of 1.58 to the broader market. Caterpillar Inc. Led by Joseph E. Creed, public since 1929-12-02.
Analyst Ratings
In the October 2026 monthly count, 28 analysts rated CAT: 1 Strong Buy, 14 Buy, 11 Hold, 1 Sell and 1 Strong Sell.
Twelve months earlier, in October 2025: 29 analysts, 2 Strong Buy, 12 Buy, 12 Hold, 2 Sell and 1 Strong Sell.
Price Targets
- Average Target
- $974.50
- Median Target
- $947.50
- High
- $1155.00
- Low
- $749.00
- Targets Published, Last 12 Months
- 56
Recent Price Targets
The 5 most recent of 56 price targets published in the last 12 months.
| Date | Firm | Analyst | Target | Price When Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14, 2026 | Bernstein | Chad Dillard | $749.00 | $762.17 |
| Oct 5, 2026 | Truist Financial | Jamie Cook | $1,100.00 | $838.47 |
| Sep 10, 2026 | Needham | Not named | $980.00 | $815.56 |
| Aug 6, 2026 | D.A. Davidson | Not named | $882.00 | $870.11 |
| Aug 6, 2026 | Barclays | Not named | $900.00 | $871.08 |
Recent Upgrades & Downgrades
| Date | Firm | Action | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2026 | Morgan Stanley | upgrade | Underweight | Equal Weight |
| Nov 6, 2025 | HSBC Securities | upgrade | Hold | Buy |
| Oct 3, 2025 | Erste Group | upgrade | Hold | Buy |
| Aug 19, 2025 | Evercore ISI Group | upgrade | In Line | Outperform |
| Aug 7, 2025 | Morgan Stanley | downgrade | Equal Weight | Underweight |
Quantitative Rating
CAT carries a model grade of B (overall score 3 of 5), computed from six valuation and financial measures (discounted cash flow, return on equity, return on assets, debt to equity, price to earnings and price to book), each scored 1 to 5. It is not an analyst rating.
How to Read CAT Analyst Coverage
Sell-side equity analysts publish three primary outputs: ratings (Strong Buy / Buy / Hold / Sell / Strong Sell, or firm-specific equivalents), price targets, and EPS / revenue estimate revisions. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects 12-month directional conviction rather than near-term momentum. Price targets are more responsive but typically drift behind realized price during sharp moves. The most actionable signal for options traders is a cluster of ratings actions across multiple firms within a short window, which compresses or expands implied volatility on a horizon of days to weeks and shifts the put-call skew toward the directional consensus. The recent-actions table above shows the five most recent firm-level changes; longer histories live behind aggregator sources.
For event-driven options sizing, pair the consensus rating and target distribution with the implied-volatility surface and dealer-positioning view. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms tend to tighten put skew (downside protection becomes relatively cheaper); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The size of the IV response in the hours after a rating change is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page and the gamma-exposure page, both of which show how dealer hedging propagates the analyst-driven flow into the listed options chain.
Learn how analyst ratings is reported and how to read the data →
Frequently asked CAT analyst ratings questions
- What is the CAT consensus price target?
- As of the latest aggregator update, Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) carries a consensus 12-month price target of $974.50. Target ranges run from a low of $749.00 to a high of $1155.00. The target is the average of the price targets published by sell-side equity analysts covering the name.
- What is the analyst rating consensus on CAT?
- In the October 2026 monthly count, 28 analysts rated CAT, and the distribution tilts to the Buy side: 1 Strong Buy, 14 Buy, 11 Hold, 1 Sell and 1 Strong Sell. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects sell-side conviction over a 12-month horizon rather than near-term momentum.
- What recent ratings actions has CAT seen?
- The five most recent ratings actions on CAT appear on the page above. Sell-side rating changes are watched for two reasons: an upgrade or downgrade with a meaningful target revision moves the consensus and can trigger short-term positioning shifts, and the firm-level rating cluster (multiple firms moving in the same direction within a short window) is a clearer signal than any single action. Options markets often price the implied-vol response within minutes of the announcement.
- How do analyst targets affect CAT options pricing?
- Analyst target revisions tend to be priced in by the lit options market within minutes of publication, but persistent target drift over weeks does correlate with implied-volatility movement. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms inside a single quarter tighten put skew (downside protection becomes cheaper relative to upside speculation); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The most actionable read is the implied-vol response in the hours after a target change, which is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page.