What is the primary purpose of this 8-K filing?

The primary purpose of this 8-K filing is to provide investors and other stakeholders with supplemental, unaudited information regarding Caterpillar's retail sales of machines and power systems to end users. This data is intended to offer insights into demand trends, particularly given the time lag between sales to dealers and sales to end users.

How reliable is the data presented in this report?

The data presented is based on unaudited reports voluntarily provided by Caterpillar's independent dealers. As such, it is not subject to Caterpillar's internal controls over financial reporting and may not be accurate or complete. Caterpillar states that this information is intended solely to convey an approximate indication of trends, not as a substitute for audited financial statements.

Which business segments are covered by the retail sales data?

The retail sales data covers Caterpillar's three main reportable segments: Construction Industries, Resource Industries, and Energy & Transportation. For machines, data is segmented by geographic region. For Energy & Transportation, data is broken down by major end-use industry (Power Generation, Industrial, Transportation, Oil & Gas).

What does the 'Rolling 3 Month Retail Sales Statistics' indicate?

This statistic represents the percentage change in retail sales for the three-month period ending on the indicated month, compared to the same three-month period in the prior year. It's a way to smooth out month-to-month volatility and show more consistent trends in end-user demand.

CAT 8-K: Regulation FD — Dec 12, 2019

Summary

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) filed an 8-K on December 12, 2019, to provide supplemental information on retail sales of machines and power systems. This data, based on voluntary, unaudited dealer reports, offers insights into end-user demand trends, acknowledging a time lag between Caterpillar's sales to dealers and dealers' sales to end users. The report details rolling three-month retail sales statistics for its Construction Industries, Resource Industries, and Energy & Transportation segments across various geographic regions and end-use markets. Key trends highlighted in the report for the three months ended November 2019 indicate a mixed global performance. While North America showed consistent growth across both Construction and Resource Industries, and Asia/Pacific displayed resilience in Resource Industries, other regions and segments experienced declines. Notably, Latin America showed significant weakness in Resource Industries, and the Energy & Transportation segment saw a overall decrease driven by the Oil & Gas sector, despite strength in Power Generation and Industrial applications. Investors should view this information as an approximate indicator of business activity rather than a substitute for audited financial statements.

Key Highlights

1Caterpillar is providing supplemental, unaudited retail sales data from dealers to offer insights into end-user demand trends, supplementing its official financial reporting.
2The report covers rolling three-month retail sales statistics for Machines (Construction and Resource Industries) and Power Systems (Energy & Transportation) by geographic region and end-use.
3Global machine retail sales were "UNCHANGED" for the three months ended November 2019, a slowdown from the prior two months' growth.
4North America demonstrated strong and consistent retail sales growth for both Construction Industries (+7%) and Resource Industries (+3%) in the three months ended November 2019.
5Latin America experienced a significant decline (-30%) in Resource Industries retail sales for the three months ended November 2019, contrasting with growth in Construction Industries (+10%).
6The Energy & Transportation segment showed a decline (-5%) in total retail sales for the three months ended November 2019, primarily due to a sharp decrease in Oil & Gas (-27%), although Power Generation (+9%) and Industrial (+16%) saw increases.

CATERPILLAR INC 8-K Report, Regulation FD Disclosure (Dec 12, 2019)

Summary

Key Highlights

Frequently Asked Questions