This was once again the case on Tuesday, when the stock ended up nearly 9% after the publication of its quarterly results. A rise that, almost single-handedly, enabled the Dow Jones to escape the downturn that affected the S&P500 and Nasdaq. 
 
After a long decade of stagnant sales, the machine builder returned to growth in 2022, posting $59.4 billion in revenues. On Tuesday, results for the second quarter of 2023 clearly exceeded investor expectations. In what is said to be a slowdown in the United States, sales soared by 21.6%, thanks to a sharp increase in sales and higher prices. 
 
All three segments posted solid performances. The Energy & Transportation Division jumped 27% and the Mining Division 20%. Even the construction segment, up 19%, shone. Momentum was driven by North America (+32% in the region).
 
Margin progress was even more visible, with net profit almost doubling to $2.92 billion. Caterpillar expects the third quarter to be higher than last year, but lower than Q2.
 
Nevertheless, Caterpillar remains on the upswing, with a net margin expected to hit a record high of 14% this year and sales up 10%.