Operating Expenses
Total Operating Expenses
Caterpillar Total Operating Expenses decreased by 13.0% to $14.33B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 22.8%, from $11.67B to $14.33B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Total Operating Expenses shows an upward trend with a 6.4% CAGR. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ1 2026
How to read this metric
Rising expenses without a corresponding rise in revenue can indicate operational bloat or aggressive expansion efforts.
Detailed definition
The sum of all costs required to run the business that are not directly tied to production, including R&D and SG&A. It r...
Peer comparison
Investors compare this to revenue to assess the 'operating leverage' of a business model.
Metric ID:
total_operating_expensesHistorical 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 | $11.10B | $10.73B | $12.19B | $11.73B | $12.30B | $12.57B | $14.92B | $13.13B | $13.67B | $13.36B | $13.94B | $12.28B | $13.21B | $12.96B | $13.29B | $11.67B | $13.71B | $14.59B | $16.47B | $14.33B |
| QoQ Change | — | -3.3% | +13.5% | -3.7% | +4.8% | +2.2% | +18.7% | -12.0% | +4.1% | -2.2% | +4.3% | -11.9% | +7.5% | -1.9% | +2.6% | -12.2% | +17.5% | +6.4% | +12.9% | -13.0% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +10.8% | +17.1% | +22.4% | +11.9% | +11.1% | +6.3% | -6.6% | -6.5% | -3.4% | -3.0% | -4.6% | -5.0% | +3.8% | +12.6% | +23.9% | +22.8% |
Range$10.73B – $16.47B
CAGR+5.5%
Avg YoY Growth+7.1%
Median YoY Growth+8.6%
Total Operating Expenses at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Caterpillar's total operating expenses?
- Caterpillar (CAT) reported total operating expenses of $14.33B in Q1 2026.
- How has Caterpillar's total operating expenses changed year-over-year?
- Caterpillar's total operating expenses increased by 22.8% year-over-year, from $11.67B to $14.33B.
- What is the long-term trend for Caterpillar's total operating expenses?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Caterpillar's total operating expenses has grown at a 6.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $44.09B to $56.44B.
- What does total operating expenses mean?
- The total cost of running the day-to-day business, excluding the direct cost of making products.