Caterpillar stock price target lowered to $480 at Oppenheimer on tariff impact

Published 29/08/2025, 14:14
Caterpillar stock price target lowered to $480 at Oppenheimer on tariff impact

Investing.com - Oppenheimer has lowered its price target on Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) to $480.00 from $493.00 while maintaining an Outperform rating on the stock. The machinery giant, currently trading near its 52-week high of $441.15 with a market capitalization of $203.66 billion, has shown robust momentum with a 27.52% return over the past six months. According to InvestingPro analysis, the stock appears slightly overvalued at current levels.

The price target reduction follows Caterpillar’s updated tariff impact outlook, which raised the upper end of its expected impact from $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion, up from the previous range of $1.3-1.5 billion.

Caterpillar indicated that its fiscal year 2025 operating profit is now expected to be near the bottom end of its investor day target range due to these tariff pressures.

The revised outlook primarily accounts for changes in the Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs announced after the company’s earnings release, as well as reciprocal rates with India.

Oppenheimer trimmed its fiscal year 2026 earnings per share estimate for Caterpillar by approximately $1, noting that while sentiment has been affected by the unclear mitigation strategy, the firm believes "cycle transition will overpower tariff-sentiment" with volume growth serving as the next catalyst. Despite these challenges, InvestingPro’s comprehensive analysis indicates GOOD overall financial health, with strong cash flows and moderate debt levels. For deeper insights into CAT’s financial metrics and growth potential, investors can access the detailed Pro Research Report, available exclusively to InvestingPro subscribers.

In other recent news, Caterpillar disclosed an updated estimate for the impact of tariffs on its 2025 financial results. The company now anticipates a net impact of approximately $500 million to $600 million for the third quarter and $1.5 to $1.8 billion for the full year 2025. Additionally, Norway’s sovereign-wealth fund has divested its holdings in Caterpillar due to concerns about potential contributions to human rights violations. On a positive note, Evercore ISI upgraded Caterpillar’s stock rating from In Line to Outperform, citing resilience in construction equipment margins. Furthermore, Caterpillar Financial Services issued $1.45 billion in new debt securities, including floating and fixed rate notes due in 2028. DA Davidson raised its price target for Caterpillar to $408, maintaining a Neutral rating, and highlighted tariffs as a temporary margin concern. These developments reflect a mix of challenges and opportunities for the company.

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