Caterpillar Inc (CAT) Dividend History
DivTrkr holds 179 recorded CAT dividend payments, running from January 14, 1982 to July 20, 2026 — 45 calendar years. Together those payments total $74.48 per share. CAT has most often paid quarterly.
CAT has increased its payment rate for 22 consecutive complete years.
Over the last five complete years the CAT payment rate compounded at +7.2% a year, and +7.1% a year over the last ten. That is what the payments actually did; it is not a forecast.
CAT's payment rate fell in 1985, 1992. The steepest drop was -66.7%.
CAT dividends by year
| Year | Total paid per share | Payments | Median payment | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5.84 | 4 | $1.46 | +7.7% |
| 2024 | $5.42 | 4 | $1.35 | +8.4% |
| 2023 | $5.00 | 4 | $1.25 | +8.2% |
| 2022 | $4.62 | 4 | $1.16 | +7.9% |
| 2021 | $4.28 | 4 | $1.07 | +3.9% |
| 2020 | $4.12 | 4 | $1.03 | +9.0% |
| 2019 | $3.78 | 4 | $0.945 | +15.2% |
| 2018 | $3.28 | 4 | $0.820 | +5.8% |
| 2017 | $3.10 | 4 | $0.775 | +0.6% |
| 2016 | $3.08 | 4 | $0.770 | +4.8% |
| 2015 | $2.94 | 4 | $0.735 | +13.1% |
| 2014 | $2.60 | 4 | $0.650 | — |
| 2013 | $1.72 | 3 (timing) | $0.600 | — |
| 2012 | $2.48 | 5 (timing) | $0.520 | — |
| 2011 | $1.80 | 4 | $0.450 | +4.7% |
| 2010 | $1.72 | 4 | $0.430 | +2.4% |
| 2009 | $1.68 | 4 | $0.420 | +7.7% |
| 2008 | $1.56 | 4 | $0.390 | +18.2% |
| 2007 | $1.32 | 4 | $0.330 | +20.0% |
| 2006 | $1.10 | 4 | $0.275 | +20.9% |
| 2005 | $0.910 | 4 | $0.227 | +16.7% |
| 2004 | $0.780 | 4 | $0.195 | +11.4% |
| 2003 | $0.710 | 4 | $0.175 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | $0.700 | 4 | $0.175 | +1.4% |
| 2001 | $0.690 | 4 | $0.172 | +3.8% |
| 2000 | $0.665 | 4 | $0.166 | +6.4% |
| 1999 | $0.625 | 4 | $0.156 | +13.6% |
| 1998 | $0.550 | 4 | $0.138 | +22.2% |
| 1997 | $0.450 | 4 | $0.113 | +20.0% |
| 1996 | $0.375 | 4 | $0.0938 | +25.0% |
| 1995 | $0.300 | 4 | $0.0750 | +166.7% |
| 1994 | $0.112 | 4 | $0.0281 | +50.0% |
| 1993 | $0.0750 | 4 | $0.0187 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | $0.0750 | 4 | $0.0187 | -50.0% |
| 1991 | $0.150 | 4 | $0.0375 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | $0.150 | 4 | $0.0375 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | $0.150 | 4 | $0.0375 | +59.2% |
| 1988 | $0.0943 | 4 | $0.0236 | +50.8% |
| 1987 | $0.0625 | 4 | $0.0156 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | $0.0625 | 4 | $0.0156 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | $0.0625 | 4 | $0.0156 | -66.7% |
| 1984 | $0.156 | 4 | $0.0469 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | $0.188 | 4 | $0.0469 | -44.4% |
| 1982 | $0.300 | 4 | $0.0844 | — |
How this growth is measured
Year-over-year growth here compares each year's median payment with the year before, not the calendar-year total. Ex-dividend dates drift, so a quarterly payer can book five ex-dates in one calendar year and four in the next. Comparing raw yearly totals would show a phantom cut of around 25% in a year where the company did nothing but pay slightly earlier. Using the median payment removes that distortion, and also ignores one-off special dividends.
Years marked “timing” booked a different number of payments than CAT's usual cadence, so their total is not directly comparable with neighbouring years.
Recent CAT dividend payments
| Ex-dividend date | Amount per share |
|---|---|
| July 20, 2026 | $1.63 |
| April 20, 2026 | $1.51 |
| January 20, 2026 | $1.51 |
| October 20, 2025 | $1.51 |
| July 21, 2025 | $1.51 |
| April 21, 2025 | $1.41 |
| January 21, 2025 | $1.41 |
| October 21, 2024 | $1.41 |
| July 22, 2024 | $1.41 |
| April 19, 2024 | $1.30 |
| January 19, 2024 | $1.30 |
| October 20, 2023 | $1.30 |
| July 19, 2023 | $1.30 |
| April 21, 2023 | $1.20 |
| January 19, 2023 | $1.20 |
| October 21, 2022 | $1.20 |
| July 19, 2022 | $1.20 |
| April 22, 2022 | $1.11 |
| January 19, 2022 | $1.11 |
| October 22, 2021 | $1.11 |
| July 19, 2021 | $1.11 |
| April 23, 2021 | $1.03 |
| January 19, 2021 | $1.03 |
| October 23, 2020 | $1.03 |
| July 17, 2020 | $1.03 |
| April 17, 2020 | $1.03 |
| January 17, 2020 | $1.03 |
| October 18, 2019 | $1.03 |
| July 19, 2019 | $1.03 |
| April 18, 2019 | $0.860 |
| January 18, 2019 | $0.860 |
| October 19, 2018 | $0.860 |
| July 19, 2018 | $0.860 |
| April 20, 2018 | $0.780 |
| January 19, 2018 | $0.780 |
| October 20, 2017 | $0.780 |
| July 18, 2017 | $0.780 |
| April 20, 2017 | $0.770 |
| January 18, 2017 | $0.770 |
| October 20, 2016 | $0.770 |
| July 18, 2016 | $0.770 |
| April 21, 2016 | $0.770 |
| January 15, 2016 | $0.770 |
| October 22, 2015 | $0.770 |
| July 16, 2015 | $0.770 |
| April 16, 2015 | $0.700 |
| January 15, 2015 | $0.700 |
| October 16, 2014 | $0.700 |
| July 17, 2014 | $0.700 |
| April 16, 2014 | $0.600 |
| January 16, 2014 | $0.600 |
| October 17, 2013 | $0.600 |
| July 18, 2013 | $0.600 |
| April 18, 2013 | $0.520 |
| December 20, 2012 | $0.520 |
| October 18, 2012 | $0.520 |
| July 18, 2012 | $0.520 |
| April 19, 2012 | $0.460 |
| January 18, 2012 | $0.460 |
| October 20, 2011 | $0.460 |
Showing the 60 most recent of 179 recorded payments. The full log is on the page.
CAT dividend history questions
How many dividends has CAT paid?
DivTrkr has 179 recorded CAT dividend payments between January 14, 1982 and July 20, 2026, totalling $74.48 per share across 45 calendar years.
Has CAT ever cut its dividend?
Yes. The CAT per-payment rate fell in 1985, 1992, the steepest being -66.7%.
How fast is the CAT dividend growing?
The CAT payment rate compounded at +7.2% a year over the last five complete years and +7.1% a year over the last ten.
How often does CAT pay a dividend?
CAT has most often paid quarterly — 4 payments a year. Individual years can show a different count when an ex-date drifts across a year boundary.
See the current CAT dividend yield and next ex-dividend date, or track CAT free with DivTrkr to see what this history pays on your own share count.