Caterpillar tops estimates as data centers lift power demand

Caterpillar Inc. posted quarterly earnings that beat Wall Street expectations as soaring electricity needs for artificial intelligence data centers drove demand for the company’s power generation equipment.

The US company posted adjusted earnings of $5.16 in the fourth quarter, beating the $4.69 average estimate of analysts polled by Bloomberg, according to a Thursday statement. Caterpillar’s power and energy segment posted a 25% jump in profit from a year ago.

Caterpillar is among the world’s top makers of mining and construction equipment, making it a barometer for the health of the global economy, while its power and energy business has gained traction from the AI data center boom. The firm’s iconic yellow machines are deployed across several industries and regions, so its sales can signal either strong global industrial activity or slowing economic growth.

Shares of the Irving, Texas-based company rose 7% as of 6:39 a.m. in premarket trading in New York.

The power and energy unit has become the company’s largest and fastest-growing segment. Once a sleepy segment of the overall business, the unit sells power generators, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines that produce electricity for buildings, factories and data centers.

The business has made Caterpillar a runaway winner in a market where investors are hungry for AI-adjacent companies after valuations of major technology and semiconductor companies soared. Caterpillar topped a $300 billion valuation this month on exuberance around data-center-driven demand.

(By Jacob Lorinc)