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Compared to Estimates, Caterpillar (CAT) Q3 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics

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For the quarter ended September 2023, Caterpillar (CAT - Free Report) reported revenue of $16.81 billion, up 12.1% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $5.52, compared to $3.95 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.50% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $16.56 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $4.75, the EPS surprise was +16.21%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Caterpillar performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

  • Sales Volume - Machinery, Energy & Transportation - Construction Industries: $62 million versus -$26.95 million estimated by two analysts on average.
  • Sales Volume - Machinery, Energy & Transportation - Resource Industries: -$81 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $269.87 million.
  • Sales Volume - Machinery, Energy & Transportation - Energy & Transportation: $415 million versus $673.58 million estimated by two analysts on average.
  • Price Realization - Total: $1.30 billion compared to the $404 million average estimate based on two analysts.
  • Sales and Revenues- Asia/Pacific- Machinery, Energy & Transportation: $2.79 billion compared to the $3.02 billion average estimate based on three analysts.
  • Sales and Revenues- Asia/Pacific- Machinery, Energy & Transportation- All Other Segments: $10 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $21.67 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -33.3%.
  • Sales and Revenues- Latin America- Machinery, Energy & Transportation: $1.51 billion versus $1.69 billion estimated by three analysts on average.
  • Sales and Revenues- North America- Machinery, Energy & Transportation: $8.39 billion versus $7.75 billion estimated by three analysts on average.
  • Total sales and revenues- Machinery, Energy & Transportation- Total: $16.81 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $15.68 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +17.7%.
  • Total sales and revenues- Financial Products- Total: $822 million compared to the $793.15 million average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of +14.8% year over year.
  • Total sales and revenues- Machinery, Energy & Transportation- Construction Industries: $7 billion versus $6.61 billion estimated by four analysts on average.
  • Total sales and revenues- Machinery, Energy & Transportation- Energy & Transportation: $6.86 billion versus $7.08 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +10.9% change.
View all Key Company Metrics for Caterpillar here>>>

Shares of Caterpillar have returned -10.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -2.8% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.

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