Caterpillar reports 2018 results and shares 2019 outlook

Posted on Jan 28, 2019 in Nuts & Bolts

Record Full-Year Profit Per Share; 2019 Profit Per Share Expected to Increase

• Fourth-quarter sales and revenues up 11 percent; full-year sales and revenues up 20 percent
• Strong financial position; ended 2018 with $7.9 billion of enterprise cash
• Repurchased $1.8 billion in company stock in the fourth quarter and $3.8 billion for the full year
• 2019 profit per share expected to increase; outlook range of $11.75 to $12.75

Caterpillar Inc. has announced fourth-quarter and full-year results for 2018.

Sales and revenues in the fourth quarter of 2018 were $14.3 billion, compared with $12.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017, an 11 percent increase. Fourth-quarter 2018 profit was $1.78 per share, compared with a loss of $2.18 per share in the fourth quarter of 2017. Adjusted profit per share in the fourth quarter of 2018 was $2.55, compared with fourth-quarter 2017 adjusted profit per share of $2.16, up 18 percent.

Full-year sales and revenues in 2018 were $54.7 billion, up 20 percent from $45.5 billion in 2017. Full-year profit was $10.26 per share in 2018, compared with profit of $1.26 per share in 2017. Adjusted profit per share in 2018 was $11.22, up 63 percent compared with 2017 adjusted profit per share of $6.88.

Adjusted profit per share excludes several adjustments consisting of restructuring costs, mark-to-market losses for re-measurement of pension and other post-employment benefit (OPEB) plans, certain deferred tax valuation allowance adjustments, the impact of U.S. tax reform and a gain on sale of an equity investment in 2017.

Fourth-quarter 2018 Machinery, Energy & Transportation (ME&T) operating cash flow was $2.5 billion. In the fourth quarter of 2018, the company repurchased $1.8 billion of Caterpillar common stock and paid dividends of $507 million.

For the full year of 2018, ME&T operating cash flow was $6.3 billion. During the year the company deployed significant capital, including the repurchase of $3.8 billion of Caterpillar common stock, dividend payments of $2.0 billion and a discretionary pension contribution of $1.0 billion. After returning $5.8 billion of capital to shareholders, the enterprise cash balance was $7.9 billion at the end of 2018, compared with $8.3 billion at the end of 2017.

“In 2018, Caterpillar achieved record profit per share and returned significant levels of capital to shareholders,” said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby. “Our global team remained focused on serving our customers, executing our strategy and investing for future profitable growth.”

2019 Outlook

Following a record year for profit per share, Caterpillar expects 2019 profit to increase to a range of $11.75 to $12.75 per share.

“Our outlook assumes a modest sales increase based on the fundamentals of our diverse end markets as well as the macroeconomic and geopolitical environment. We will continue to focus on operational excellence, including cost discipline, while investing in expanded offerings and services to drive long-term profitable growth,” added Umpleby.

Beginning in 2019, the company does not plan to exclude restructuring costs from adjusted profit per share as these costs are expected to return to normalized levels. The outlook does not include a mark-to-market gain or loss for re-measurement of pension and OPEB plans or any changes to estimates related to U.S. tax reform due to interpretations released in 2019.

Click here to download the full version of the Caterpillar Inc. 4Q and full-year 2018 results release.

Click here to download the Caterpillar Inc. 4Q and full-year 2018 quarterly highlights.