Summary
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) has filed an 8-K report on September 14, 2018, providing supplemental unaudited data on retail sales of machines and power systems. This information, based on voluntary reports from independent dealers, is intended to offer insights into business trends and the industries served, particularly given the lag between Caterpillar's sales to dealers and dealers' sales to end-users. The report highlights rolling three-month retail sales statistics by geographic region for Construction and Resource Industries, and by major end-use for Energy & Transportation. Key takeaways from the data for the three-month rolling period ended August 2018 show robust growth in retail machine sales globally, up 23%, driven by strong performance in Asia/Pacific (up 28%) and North America (up 29%). The Resource Industries segment experienced exceptional growth, up 35% globally, with Asia/Pacific leading at a 77% increase. The Construction Industries segment also saw positive momentum, with global retail sales up 21%, notably strong in North America (up 30%). For Energy & Transportation, total retail sales were up 16%, with the Oil & Gas sector showing significant strength at 36% growth.
Key Highlights
- 1Caterpillar is providing supplemental unaudited data on retail sales to offer better insight into business trends and end-user demand.
- 2The data is based on voluntary reports from independent dealers and is not subject to Caterpillar's internal controls over financial reporting.
- 3Global retail sales of machines showed a positive trend, with a rolling 3-month period ended August 2018 up 23% year-over-year.
- 4Significant growth was observed across key regions, with Asia/Pacific retail machine sales up 28% and North America up 29% for the same period.
- 5The Resource Industries segment demonstrated strong retail sales growth globally, up 35% for the period ended August 2018, with Asia/Pacific markets showing exceptional 77% growth.
- 6Construction Industries also posted healthy growth, with global retail sales up 21%, driven by a 30% increase in North America.
- 7The Energy & Transportation segment reported a 16% increase in total retail sales, with the Oil & Gas sector being a standout performer with 36% growth.