CA

Caterpillar Inc. stock research

Dec 31, 2025

FY2025 Q4

Caterpillar (CAT) Gross Margin — Quarter Ended Dec 31, 2025

Revenue increased compared to both the prior quarter and the same quarter last year, while gross profit was lower than both periods. Cost of revenue rose more than proportionally, causing gross margin to weaken sequentially and year-over-year.

Gross margin takeaway

Quarter ended Dec 31, 2025 · FY2025 Q4

Revenue increased compared to both the prior quarter and the same quarter last year, while gross profit was lower than both periods. Cost of revenue rose more than proportionally, causing gross margin to weaken sequentially and year-over-year.

  • The strongest observable driver is the relationship between revenue and cost of revenue: revenue grew but cost of revenue grew faster, compressing gross profit and margin.
  • Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, revenue was higher but gross profit was lower, and gross margin weakened. Compared to the same quarter one year earlier, revenue was higher, gross profit was lower, and gross margin weakened.

Gross margin snapshot

The selected quarter's reported revenue, gross profit, direct costs, and margin comparisons.

Gross margin

30.5%

Gross profit

$5.8B

Revenue

$19.1B

Cost of revenue

$13.3B

Quarter-over-quarter change

-3.4 pts

Year-over-year change

-5.9 pts

Quarterly gross margin trend

A four-quarter view of the revenue and direct-cost bridge behind gross margin.

PeriodRevenueGross profitCost of revenueGross margin
Mar 31, 2025$14.2B$5.3B$9.0B37.1%
Jun 30, 2025$16.6B$5.8B$10.8B34.8%
Sep 30, 2025$17.6B$6.0B$11.7B33.8%
Dec 31, 2025$19.1B$5.8B$13.3B30.5%

Quarterly comparisons

Compare the selected margin with the preceding quarter and the same fiscal quarter one year earlier.

Previous-quarter change

Sep 30, 2025

-3.4 pts

Year-over-year change

Dec 31, 2024

-5.9 pts

What the margin says

Filing-constrained interpretation of margin direction, comparisons, and what to monitor next.

The strongest observable driver is the relationship between revenue and cost of revenue: revenue grew but cost of revenue grew faster, compressing gross profit and margin.

Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, revenue was higher but gross profit was lower, and gross margin weakened. Compared to the same quarter one year earlier, revenue was higher, gross profit was lower, and gross margin weakened.

Monitor the trajectory of cost of revenue relative to revenue, as its faster growth is the primary factor behind margin compression.