
PEORIA, Ill.— Despite economic and political uncertainty in the United States, continued economic turmoil in much of Europe and slower growth in China, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) today announced record 2012 sales and revenues of $65.875 billion, an increase of 10 percent from $60.138 billion in 2011. Profit per share of $8.48 was also an all-time record, including the impact of the previously announced goodwill impairment charge of $0.87 per share related to Siwei. The 2012 profit per share of $8.48 was up 15 percent from $7.40 in 2011. Profit was $5.681 billion, an increase of 15 percent from $4.928 billion in 2011.
Fourth-quarter 2012 sales and revenues were $16.075 billion, down $1.168 billion from $17.243 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011. The impact of changes in dealer new machine inventories lowered sales by about $1.4 billion as dealers reduced inventories about $600 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with an increase of about $800 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Fourth-quarter 2012 profit was $697 million compared with $1.547 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011. Profit was $1.04 per share in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared with profit per share of $2.32 in the fourth quarter of 2011. Fourth-quarter 2012 profit was negatively impacted by the previously announced goodwill impairment charge of $580 million, or $0.87 per share. Lower sales and revenues and the cost impact from sharply lower production and the $2 billion decline in Caterpillar inventory also had a negative impact on fourth-quarter profit. Those impacts were partially offset by a $300 million positive impact related to the settlement of prior-year tax returns.
“From an operational standpoint, 2012 was a very successful year with record sales and profit in a tough economic climate. Considering the weak economy in the United States, along with much of Europe in recession and China slowing, we had a solid year. Our incremental operating profit pull through was very good, we made progress adjusting inventory levels, and our quality and safety indicators continued to improve,” said Caterpillar Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Oberhelman.
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First-Quarter Sales and Revenues Increase 23 Percent, Profit Per Share Up 29 Percent
PEORIA, Ill. — Growth in mining, strong replacement demand for products in the United States and a continued focus on cost management helped Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) deliver record quarterly profit per share of $2.37 in the first quarter of 2012. This represents an increase of 29 percent from first-quarter 2011 profit per share of $1.84. First-quarter 2012 sales and revenues of $15.981 billion were up 23 percent from $12.949 billion in the first quarter of 2011. Profit was a record $1.586 billion in the quarter, an increase of 29 percent from $1.225 billion in the first quarter of 2011.
“These outstanding results demonstrate our continued focus on execution and controlling costs as we increase production and expand capacity to meet increasing demand from our customers. We’re seeing strong global demand for most mining products and significant growth in replacement demand for products in the United States, which more than offset slowing in China and Brazil,” said Caterpillar Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Oberhelman. “During the quarter, I visited Caterpillar facilities, customers, suppliers and dealers around the world, and saw firsthand the progress we are making on safety, product quality, improved delivery times, factory efficiencies and customer service. These improvements have been impressive considering they’ve occurred while we have so much going on—we are building new facilities, expanding existing facilities, integrating acquisitions and continuing the introduction of new products,” Oberhelman added.
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Another chapter in the online publishing revolution has just been written by Moffat Consulting & Technology, the publishers of Resale Weekly after signing a long-term syndication agreement with Caterpillar Inc to deliver its new or used equipment information globally through a specially developed portal and a CatUsed iPhone application.
Already the world’s leading journal for construction plant, commercial vehicles and equipment, Resale Weekly recently extended its activities into building dynamic websites and the latest interactive mobile applications for the iPhone and other smartphones.
The new interactive applications move Caterpillar Inc, the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, to the next level, enabling them to more effectively manage their online marketing strategies and provide users with immediate access to performance listings as well as extensive information from across the global Caterpillar Dealer Network.
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