What is the purpose of this 8-K filing?

This 8-K filing is for Regulation FD Disclosure. Caterpillar is furnishing supplemental, unaudited information about retail sales of its machines and power systems to end users and OEMs. The goal is to provide investors with a more timely indication of sales trends, given the time lag between Caterpillar's sales to dealers and dealers' sales to end users.

How should investors interpret the retail sales data provided?

The data presented is based on unaudited reports voluntarily provided by Caterpillar's independent dealers. Therefore, it is intended to convey an approximate indication of trends, direction, and magnitude of retail sales, and should not be considered an estimate, approximation, or prediction of Caterpillar's official audited financial results. Investors should use this data to understand market dynamics and general performance direction.

Which segments showed the strongest and weakest retail sales growth?

For the rolling 3-month period ended May 2018, the Resource Industries segment showed the strongest global retail sales growth at 35%, closely followed by total machines at 24%. The Construction Industries segment also performed well with 22% global growth. The Energy & Transportation segment had the weakest overall growth at 5%, largely due to a significant decline in Transportation retail sales (-40%), although Oil & Gas sales were strong (+31%).

Are there any specific regional trends that stand out?

Yes, several regional trends are notable. Asia/Pacific and Latin America showed particularly strong growth in total machine retail sales. Latin America also demonstrated exceptionally high growth rates for both the Resource Industries and Construction Industries segments. North America also showed solid, consistent growth across both machine segments.

CAT 8-K: Regulation FD — Jun 13, 2018

Summary

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) filed an 8-K on June 13, 2018, to provide supplemental information regarding retail sales of machines and power systems. This disclosure is designed to offer investors a timelier, albeit unaudited, view of sales trends, bridging the gap between Caterpillar's sales to its dealers and the dealers' sales to end-users. The report presents rolling 3-month retail sales statistics by geographic region for the Construction and Resource Industries segments, as well as by end-use for the Energy & Transportation segment. The key takeaway is the generally positive retail sales momentum across most segments and regions during the period ending May 2018. Total machine retail sales globally showed a healthy increase, driven by strong performance in Asia/Pacific and Latin America. Both Construction and Resource Industries experienced significant growth, particularly notable in Latin America for both segments and Asia/Pacific for Construction. The Energy & Transportation segment showed mixed results, with notable growth in Oil & Gas offsetting declines in Transportation and Power Generation, while Industrial sales remained flat. Investors should note that this data is unaudited and based on voluntary dealer reports, thus providing an indication of trends rather than definitive financial results.

Key Highlights

1Caterpillar is providing supplemental, unaudited rolling 3-month retail sales data to give investors a more current view of business trends.
2Global retail sales of total machines showed a robust increase of 24% for the 3-month period ended May 2018 compared to the prior year.
3Significant regional strength was observed in Asia/Pacific (up 36%) and Latin America (up 43%) for total machine retail sales.
4The Construction Industries segment saw global retail sales increase by 22%, with strong double-digit growth in key regions like Asia/Pacific (up 42%) and North America (up 17%).
5The Resource Industries segment also demonstrated strong global retail sales growth of 35%, with particularly high growth rates in Latin America (up 124%) and EAME (up 42%).
6Energy & Transportation segment retail sales experienced a modest overall increase of 5%, but this was driven by strong Oil & Gas growth (up 31%) while Transportation (down 40%) and Power Generation (up 3%) showed weaker performance.
7The disclosed data is based on unaudited reports from independent dealers and is intended to indicate trends, not to be a substitute for audited financial statements.

CATERPILLAR INC 8-K Report, Regulation FD Disclosure (Jun 13, 2018)

Summary

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