Caterpillar Catches the AI Wind as Turbine Demand Takes Off
Caterpillar is finding its wings in the AI economy. America’s yellow-machine icon broke fresh highs in September, jumping 14% for the month and even outpacing the Magnificent Seven this year. As investors start looking beyond AI’s obvious winners, this industrial giant’s lesser-known units are powering the infrastructure boom.
- Amid forecasts for massive computing demand, investors are betting on’s natural gas turbines — already facing record backlogs and a wave of Congress tax relief.
- Meanwhile, Trump’s push for new US mines has fueled fresh demand for classic heavy machinery — now indispensable for both mining projects and data center construction.
Mighty machines: Bank of America analysts are buzzing about the power generation unit, which happens to offer “CAT’s highest margin product with a robust growth outlook,” but there’s still plenty to weigh. Currently, its stock sits above Wall Street’s average target, faces tariff headwinds, and trades at its highest forward earnings valuation since 2021. However, it’s still priced at a discount to other AI and power equipment leaders, suggesting there’s room to catch up. Still, as with value and company, picking your peers wisely always pays off.
