New York, Feb 15, 2026, 13:17 EST — The session ended with the market closed.
Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) finished Friday up 2.1% at $774.20, having earlier hit $783.93, an intraday high that leaves the machinery giant hovering close to its recent peaks ahead of the long weekend.
No trading on Monday—NYSE markets shutter for Washington’s Birthday, so the U.S. session picks up again Tuesday. That leaves a narrower window for any new catalysts to land.
Paperwork can move stocks, too. Caterpillar’s annual report landed Friday, covering the year ended Dec. 31, 2025. Investors often use this filing for a fresh look at risk, cash flow, and capital returns.
Group President Jason Kaiser unloaded 1,690 shares at $776.70 each on Feb. 12, pulling in about $1.31 million, according to a separate SEC Form 4 filing. Following the transaction, Kaiser’s direct holdings stood at 8,661 shares.
Late in the week, the macro picture changed. U.S. consumer prices for January came in softer than anticipated, fueling bets the Federal Reserve will stick with plans to cut rates later this year. That gave rate-sensitive cyclicals some support.
Machinery stocks followed along. Deere & Co wrapped up the session 0.9% higher at $602.92.
Caterpillar’s most recent earnings report is still casting a shadow, with management warning about a looming $2.6 billion tariff cost in 2026. CEO Joe Creed also highlighted increased demand for large “prime power” generators among data-center clients. “Better-than-expected sales across business segments were hindered by tariff headwinds, limiting the margin expansion for the quarter,” Jefferies analyst Stephen Volkmann noted. Reuters
Traders are bracing for a busy Wednesday next week, with the data spotlight set to hit at 8:30 a.m. ET. The Census Bureau will drop numbers for both housing starts and durable goods on Feb. 18, reports that could quickly shift sentiment around construction and factory orders.
Minutes from the Fed’s Jan. 27-28 meeting hit at 2 p.m. ET later today, and those can jolt rate forecasts and risk sentiment in a hurry.
The setup isn’t one-sided. Weakness in housing or manufacturing data—or if investors start feeling uneasy about tariffs and pricing—could quickly flip the script, sending shares near their highs into a steeper drop during this holiday-thinned week.
Feb. 18 brings another key date: Caterpillar CFO Andrew Bonfield is set to appear for a fireside chat at 10:25 a.m. ET during Barclays’ industrial conference. The company’s investor site has the webcast details.
