NEW YORK, December 31, 2025, 21:11 ET — Market closed
- Caterpillar fell about 0.8% to close at $572.87 as Wall Street finished the year with a pullback
- Investors are sizing up 2026 demand against interest-rate and trade-policy uncertainty
- Focus shifts to January catalysts, including CES, the next dividend date and expected earnings timing
Caterpillar Inc shares slipped about 0.8% on Wednesday to close at $572.87, as U.S. stocks ended the year’s final session lower. 1
The move matters because Caterpillar is widely treated as a read-through on capital spending, from construction equipment to mining and energy projects. With 2026 starting amid shifting rate expectations and trade uncertainty, investors are using late-year price action as a quick gauge of risk appetite. 2
Caterpillar is also coming off a strong 2025 run, leaving the stock more sensitive to profit-taking and any reset in expectations around the “AI infrastructure” theme that has broadened beyond chipmakers. 3
The Dow fell 0.63% and the S&P 500 dropped 0.74% in light trading on the last day of 2025, Reuters reported. Treasury yields moved higher after a labor-market report showed an unexpected dip in new filings for unemployment benefits. 2
Caterpillar traded between $572.05 and $578.94 during the session, according to Yahoo Finance historical data. 4
Recent investor focus has extended to Caterpillar’s engine and power generation offerings as data-center operators look for faster ways to secure electricity for new buildouts, Barron’s reported. 3
Mizuho analyst Jordan Klein underscored the industrial scale of the opportunity, writing: “We are not talking small generators you put next to the house.” 3
Beyond the data-center angle, traders are watching for signals on the core cycle: equipment demand tied to construction and resource markets, dealer inventory levels, and how pricing holds up if financing costs stay restrictive into early 2026. 2
U.S. markets are closed Thursday for New Year’s Day, according to the New York Stock Exchange holiday calendar. 5
Before the next session, some traders will be watching whether Caterpillar holds the $570 area after Wednesday’s close, with the stock still below its 52-week high of $627.50, market data showed. 6
On the company calendar, CEO Joe Creed is scheduled to deliver a keynote at CES in Las Vegas on Jan. 7, an event that could put Caterpillar’s technology and power-generation messaging back in focus for investors. 7
Income investors also have the next dividend marker ahead: Caterpillar’s shares are set to go ex-dividend on Jan. 20 — meaning buyers after that date won’t receive the next payout — for a $1.51 quarterly dividend payable Feb. 19, the company’s investor site shows. 8
Wall Street also expects the company’s next earnings update in late January; Nasdaq’s earnings calendar
