8-KRegulation FDExhibits & Filings

CATERPILLAR INC 8-K Report, Regulation FD Disclosure (Jul 31, 2020)

Filed July 31, 2020For Securities:CAT

Summary

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) filed an 8-K on July 31, 2020, providing supplemental data on retail machine and power systems sales for the three-month rolling periods ending June, May, and April 2020. This information is furnished to offer insight into end-user demand, bridging the gap between Caterpillar's sales to dealers and dealer sales to end-users, particularly given the challenging economic environment. The data reveals a broad decline in global retail machine sales across both Construction Industries and Resource Industries segments for the three months ending June 2020, with North America experiencing particularly steep drops. The Energy & Transportation segment also saw significant year-over-year declines in total retail sales. While the furnished data is unaudited and based on dealer reports, it offers a near-term indicator of market trends and potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Caterpillar's diverse end markets.

Key Highlights

  • 1The report provides unaudited supplemental data on retail sales for machines and power systems, based on dealer reports, to offer insights into end-user demand.
  • 2Global retail sales for Total Machines showed a consistent decline across April, May, and June 2020, with a 23% decrease in the three-month period ending June 2020.
  • 3North America experienced the most significant declines in retail machine sales across both Construction Industries (down 38% in June 2020) and Resource Industries (down 46% in June 2020) for the three months ending June 2020.
  • 4The Construction Industries segment saw mixed regional performance, with Asia/Pacific showing a 14% increase in retail sales for June 2020, while EAME and Latin America experienced declines.
  • 5The Resource Industries segment's global retail sales declined by 21% for the three months ending June 2020, with significant weakness in North America.
  • 6The Energy & Transportation segment reported an 18% decrease in total retail sales for the three months ending June 2020, with the Transportation and Industrial sectors showing the sharpest downturns.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main purpose of this 8-K filing is to furnish supplemental information to investors regarding Caterpillar's retail sales of machines and power systems. This data is intended to provide an approximate indication of trends and the direction of end-user demand, especially given the time lag between Caterpillar's sales to dealers and dealers' sales to end-users.

No, the retail sales data presented in this filing is based on unaudited reports voluntarily provided by Caterpillar's independent dealers. This data is not subject to Caterpillar's internal controls over financial reporting and is intended only to provide an approximate indication of trends, not as a substitute for audited financial statements.

North America showed particularly steep declines in retail machine sales across both the Construction Industries (down 38% for the three months ending June 2020) and Resource Industries (down 46% for the three months ending June 2020) segments.

The Energy & Transportation segment experienced a total retail sales decline of 18% for the three-month rolling period ending June 2020, compared to the prior year. The Transportation and Industrial end-use categories showed the most pronounced decreases within this segment.