Caterpillar Reports Fourth-Quarter And Full-Year 2024 Results

IRVING, Texas, Jan. 30, 2025 – Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) announced fourth-quarter and full-year results for 2024.

Sales and revenues for the fourth quarter of 2024 were $16.2 billion, a 5% decrease compared with $17.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023. Operating profit margin was 18.0% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared with 18.4% for the fourth quarter of 2023. Adjusted operating profit margin was 18.3% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared with 18.9% for the fourth quarter of 2023. Fourth-quarter 2024 profit per share was $5.78, compared with $5.28 profit per share in the fourth quarter of 2023. Adjusted profit per share in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $5.14, compared with fourth-quarter 2023 adjusted profit per share of $5.23.

Full-year sales and revenues in 2024 were $64.8 billion, down 3% compared with $67.1 billion in 2023. The decrease reflected lower sales volume of $3.5 billion, partially offset by favorable price realization of $1.2 billion. Lower sales volume was primarily driven by lower sales of equipment to end users. Operating profit margin was 20.2% in 2024, compared with 19.3% in 2023. Adjusted operating profit margin was 20.7% in 2024, compared with 20.5% in 2023. Full-year profit was $22.05 per share in 2024, compared with profit of $20.12 per share in 2023. Adjusted profit per share in 2024 was $21.90, compared with adjusted profit per share of $21.21 in 2023.

“I’m proud of our global team’s strong performance in 2024 as they delivered record adjusted profit per share and strong ME&T free cash flow,” said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby. “As we kick off our centennial year, we remain committed to serving our customers, executing our strategy and continuing to invest for long-term profitable growth.”

In 2024, adjusted operating profit margin and adjusted profit per share excluded restructuring costs. 2024 adjusted profit per share also excluded a discrete tax benefit for a tax law change related to currency translation and excluded mark-to-market gains for remeasurement of pension and other postemployment benefit (OPEB) plans. In 2023, adjusted operating profit margin and adjusted profit per share excluded restructuring costs, which included the impact of the divestiture of the company’s Longwall business and other restructuring costs. 2023 adjusted profit per share also excluded a benefit for certain deferred tax valuation allowance adjustments and mark-to-market gains for remeasurement of pension and OPEB plans. Please see a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in the appendix on pages 14 to 16.

For the full year 2024, enterprise operating cash flow was $12.0 billion, and the company ended the fourth quarter with $6.9 billion of enterprise cash. During the year, the company deployed $7.7 billion of cash for repurchases of Caterpillar common stock and $2.6 billion of cash for dividends.