Equity
Retained Earnings
Caterpillar Retained Earnings increased by 3.9% to $68.00B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 10.8%, from $61.36B to $68.00B. Over 5 years (FY 2020 to FY 2025), Retained Earnings shows an upward trend with a 13.2% CAGR. This is a positive signal — higher values indicate stronger performance for this metric.
Analysis
StatementBalance Sheet Statement
SectionEquity
CategoryProfitability
SignalHigher is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ4 2014
Last reportedQ1 2026May 6, 2026
How to read this metric
Consistent growth indicates long-term profitability and the ability to self-fund operations.
Detailed definition
The cumulative net income earned by the company since inception, minus any dividends paid to shareholders. It represents...
Peer comparison
Generally positive for established, profitable industrial firms.
Metric ID:
retained_earningsHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $36.93B | $38.36B | $39.28B | $40.82B | $41.26B | $43.30B | $43.51B | $45.46B | $47.09B | $49.89B | $51.25B | $54.11B | $55.46B | $57.92B | $59.35B | $61.36B | $62.16B | $64.46B | $65.45B | $68.00B |
| QoQ Change | — | +3.9% | +2.4% | +3.9% | +1.1% | +4.9% | +0.5% | +4.5% | +3.6% | +5.9% | +2.7% | +5.6% | +2.5% | +4.4% | +2.5% | +3.4% | +1.3% | +3.7% | +1.5% | +3.9% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +11.7% | +12.9% | +10.8% | +11.4% | +14.1% | +15.2% | +17.8% | +19.0% | +17.8% | +16.1% | +15.8% | +13.4% | +12.1% | +11.3% | +10.3% | +10.8% |
Range$36.93B – $68.00B
CAGR+13.7%
Avg YoY Growth+13.8%
Median YoY Growth+13.1%
Current Streak19+ quarters growth
Retained Earnings at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Caterpillar's retained earnings?
- Caterpillar (CAT) reported retained earnings of $68.00B in Q1 2026.
- How has Caterpillar's retained earnings changed year-over-year?
- Caterpillar's retained earnings increased by 10.8% year-over-year, from $61.36B to $68.00B.
- What is the long-term trend for Caterpillar's retained earnings?
- Over 5 years (2020 to 2025), Caterpillar's retained earnings has grown at a 13.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $35.17B to $65.45B.
- What does retained earnings mean?
- The total profits the company has kept and reinvested since it started.