Caterpillar Inc (CAT) Dividend
Dividend Aristocrat — 32 consecutive years of dividend increases.
Caterpillar Inc (CAT) currently pays a dividend yield of 0.77%, distributing $6.52 per share annually ($1.63 per quarter). The company operates in the Industrials sector.
CAT has raised its dividend for 32 consecutive years, making it a Dividend Aristocrat — an S&P 500 company with at least 25 straight years of dividend increases.
CAT dividend at a glance
| Dividend Yield | 0.77% |
|---|---|
| Annual Dividend | $6.52 per share |
| Per Payment | $1.63 |
| Payout Frequency | Quarterly |
| Payments per Year | 4 |
| Next Ex-Dividend Date | October 20, 2026 |
| Next Payment Date | November 15, 2026 |
| Payout Ratio | 30% |
| Consecutive Years of Dividend Growth | 32 |
| Sector | Industrials |
| Implied Share Price (from yield) | $846.75 |
What CAT pays on a $10,000 investment
At a 0.77% yield, $10,000 invested in CAT generates about $77.00 per year, or roughly $19.25 every quarter. Share counts below use an implied price of $846.75, derived from the $6.52 annual dividend and the 0.77% yield.
| Amount Invested | Approx. Shares | Annual Dividend Income | Income per Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | 1.2 | $7.70 | $1.93 |
| $5,000 | 5.9 | $38.50 | $9.63 |
| $10,000 | 11.8 | $77.00 | $19.25 |
| $25,000 | 29.5 | $192.50 | $48.13 |
| $100,000 | 118.1 | $770.00 | $192.50 |
These figures assume the dividend and share price stay where they are today. They do not account for taxes, dividend cuts, price movement, or reinvestment. If you reinvest instead of taking the cash, the share count grows each quarter — see how the dividend snowball compounds.
CAT dividend payment schedule
CAT pays on a quarterly schedule — 4 payments a year. The next confirmed ex-dividend date is October 20, 2026, with payment on November 15, 2026. Later rows are projected forward at the same interval and will shift when Caterpillar Inc declares each dividend.
| Ex-Dividend Date | Payment Date | Amount per Share | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 2026 | November 15, 2026 | $1.63 | Confirmed |
| January 20, 2027 | February 15, 2027 | $1.63 | Projected |
| April 20, 2027 | May 16, 2027 | $1.63 | Projected |
| July 20, 2027 | August 15, 2027 | $1.63 | Projected |
To collect a CAT dividend you must own the shares before the ex-dividend date. Buy on the ex-date itself and the previous owner keeps that payment. Read how ex-dividend, record, and payment dates fit together.
How CAT's dividend compares
Across the 587 dividend stocks and ETFs DivTrkr tracks, the median yield is 3.81%. CAT's 0.77% is 3.04 percentage points below that median, ranking 514th of 587 by yield.
Within Industrials, where we track 52 names, the median yield is 1.35% — putting CAT below its sector.
Its 32-year run of dividend increases ranks 40th out of the 362 names in our data with an active growth streak.
What the numbers mean
CAT pays out roughly 30% of its earnings as dividends. That is a conservative payout ratio, leaving substantial room to keep raising the dividend or absorb a weak year.
Like most US dividend payers, CAT distributes quarterly, so a full year of ownership produces four payments.
Whether these payments are taxed at the lower qualified rate or as ordinary income depends on how long you hold the shares and what kind of company pays them. See the qualified vs. ordinary dividend rules.
CAT dividend FAQ
When is the next CAT ex-dividend date?
The next CAT ex-dividend date is October 20, 2026, with the payment scheduled for November 15, 2026. You must own shares before the ex-dividend date to receive that payment.
What is CAT's dividend yield?
CAT currently yields 0.77%, based on $6.52 in dividends per share over the past year.
How often does CAT pay dividends?
CAT pays quarterly, which works out to 4 payments per year of about $1.63 per share.
How much dividend income would $10,000 of CAT generate?
At the current 0.77% yield, $10,000 invested in CAT would produce roughly $77.00 per year, or about $19.25 per quarter, before taxes and assuming the dividend holds.
Has CAT increased its dividend?
Yes — CAT has raised its dividend for 32 consecutive years. That makes it a Dividend Aristocrat.
CAT dividend history
DivTrkr holds 179 recorded CAT dividend payments going back to 1982, with 22 consecutive complete years of increases and +7.2% a year of growth over the last five complete years. See the full CAT dividend history — every payment, annual totals and growth by year.
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- UPS — United Parcel Service, Inc. dividend (6.28%)
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Similar yields to CAT
- DGRW — WisdomTree US Quality Dividend Growth dividend (0.78%)
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- MSFT — Microsoft Corporation dividend (0.73%)
Track CAT dividends free with DivTrkr — see exactly what your own position pays, and when. Also browse the full dividend calendar or the A–Z list of dividend stocks.