Caterpillar Reports Second-Quarter 2021 Results

DEERFIELD, Ill. – Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) today announced second-quarter 2021 sales and revenues of $12.9 billion, a 29% increase compared with $10.0 billion in the second quarter of 2020. The increase was primarily due to higher sales volume driven by higher end-user demand for equipment and services and the impact from changes in dealer inventories. Dealers decreased their inventories more during the second quarter of 2020 than during the second quarter of 2021.

Operating profit margin was 13.9% for the second quarter of 2021, compared with 7.8% for the second quarter of 2020. Second-quarter 2021 profit per share was $2.56, compared with $0.84 profit per share in the second quarter of 2020. Adjusted profit per share in the second quarter of 2021 was $2.60, compared with second-quarter 2020 adjusted profit per share of $1.27. Adjusted profit per share for both quarters excluded restructuring costs, while the second quarter of 2020 also excluded remeasurement losses of $0.19 per share, resulting from the settlements of pension obligations. Please see a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in the appendix on page 13.

For the first half of 2021, enterprise operating cash flow was $4.0 billion. In total, the company returned $0.8 billion to shareholders in the quarter, after increasing the dividend and reinstating share repurchases. The company ended the period with $10.8 billion of enterprise cash.

“Our dedicated global team remains focused on serving our customers, executing our strategy and investing for future profitable growth,” said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby. “We’re encouraged by higher sales and revenues across all regions and in our three primary segments, which reflect continued improvement in our end markets.”