Caterpillar's Power Segment Drives Growth Amid Strong Demand
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Oct 22 2024
0mins
Should l Buy CAT?
Caterpillar Inc's stock rose by 3.77% as it reached a 20-day high, reflecting strong investor confidence in the company's growth prospects.
The company's power and energy segment reported a remarkable 23% year-over-year growth in Q4 2025, becoming its largest business. Additionally, Caterpillar's order backlog surged to $51 billion, a 71% increase from the previous year, indicating robust demand for its products. This growth is further supported by projections of a 200% increase in electricity requirements for data centers by 2035, positioning Caterpillar favorably for long-term revenue growth.
With a current P/E ratio of 31 and anticipated annual earnings growth of 18% over the next three to five years, Caterpillar's stock performance reflects strong fundamentals, making it an attractive option for investors seeking reliable returns.
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Analyst Views on CAT
Wall Street analysts forecast CAT stock price to fall
15 Analyst Rating
8 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 772.660
Low
395.00
Averages
620.54
High
730.00
Current: 772.660
Low
395.00
Averages
620.54
High
730.00
About CAT
Caterpillar Inc. is a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Its segments include Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Power & Energy. It also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. Construction Industries segment is responsible for supporting customers using machinery in infrastructure and building construction applications. Resource Industries segment develops and manufactures high productivity equipment for both surface and underground mining operations around the world, and provides select work tools, machinery components, wear and maintenance components and related parts. Power & Energy segment supports customers in oil and gas, power generation, marine, rail and industrial applications, including Caterpillar machines. It is engaged in the provision and development of mining software solutions to the mining industry.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Intensifying Market Competition: Once dubbed the Tesla of agriculture, Monarch's transition of core EV and AV technology presents Caterpillar with an opportunity to enhance its competitive edge, particularly against rivals like Deere & Co.
- Deepening Tech Collaboration: Caterpillar's partnership with NVIDIA is accelerating the application of AI technologies, utilizing the NVIDIA Jetson Thor platform to enable real-time AI inference, thereby enhancing the intelligence of its construction and agricultural equipment.
- Negative Stock Reaction: Despite the acquisition not being officially announced, Caterpillar's stock has dropped 2.4% to $775.62, indicating investor caution regarding the initial reports, even as the stock has risen 30% year-to-date in 2026.
See More
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- Technical Analysis Tool: Comparing the current price to the 200-day moving average provides investors with a technical analysis reference, helping assess whether the current price is overvalued or undervalued, thus impacting short-term trading strategies.
- ETF Unit Trading Mechanism: ETFs trade like stocks, where investors are actually buying and selling 'units' that can be created or destroyed based on demand, affecting the liquidity and price volatility of the underlying assets.
- Inflows and Outflows Monitoring: Weekly monitoring of changes in ETF units focuses on significant inflows (new units created) or outflows (old units destroyed), which directly impacts the ETF's underlying holdings and market performance.
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- Alcoa Earnings Impact: Alcoa also faced a stock decline following its earnings report, indicating market skepticism about its profitability, potentially leading investors to reassess its stock value.
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- Breakout Growth: Caterpillar (CAT) has surged 120% since breaking out of a multi-year consolidation last July, showcasing its strong performance in the AI bull market and becoming a focal point for investors.
- Industry Leadership: Within the machinery sector, Caterpillar leads with a 33% annual return, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 2%, highlighting its competitive edge and robust market demand in the heavy industrial space.
- Power & Energy Growth: Caterpillar's Power & Energy segment achieved $32.2 billion in sales for 2025, up 12%, with the power generation sub-segment surging 32% to $10.3 billion, primarily driven by data center demand, indicating strong future growth potential.
- Risk Management Strategy: Although Caterpillar's stock is currently well above its 200-day moving average at around $770, investors should wait for the next consolidation period to find a more attractive entry point, avoiding chasing the stock at elevated levels.
See More
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- Economic Data: The April Empire Manufacturing Survey index increased by 11.2 to 11.0, surpassing expectations and indicating improved economic activity that could support the stock market, while the NAHB housing market index fell to a 7-month low, signaling weakness in the real estate sector.
- Interest Rate Dynamics: The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.276% as optimism over the US-Iran ceasefire eased safe-haven demand for Treasuries, potentially leading investors to reassess future rate policies amid mixed economic signals.
- Sector Volatility: Software stocks surged, with Atlassian up over 10%, while industrial stocks fell broadly due to concerns over US metals tariffs, exemplified by Carrier Global's decline of over 9%, highlighting significant sector divergence.
See More
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- Dow Jones Under Pressure: The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4% due to Caterpillar's 4.5% drop and Goldman Sachs' sudden morning reversal, highlighting the significant impact of individual stocks on price-weighted indices.
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