First, while some of the Group's targeted sectors are currently in recession, others are booming. This is particularly the case for the construction and mining sector in emerging countries. It goes without saying that the Caterpillar group has the necessary resources and a sufficient presence in these countries to position itself as the supplier of choice.
Despite the fact that the Caterpillar Group faces increasing competition in certain specific sectors with large and more specialised companies, Caterpillar is making strategic acquisitions of companies to enable it to face them under the best conditions.
Finally, new types of markets are also opening up and could open new doors for Caterpillar. This is particularly the case for green vehicles requiring more natural gas.
Despite the fact that Caterpillar is able to outperform some of its competitors, new competitors are struggling to gain market share. This is the case, in particular, of the Stiff group, which has put a lot of emphasis on its development in China.
As we have seen above, the group could continue to suffer the negative effects of the construction sector crisis in the United States and China as well as an increasingly high level of inflation.
Finally, the group also depends a lot on the price of the necessary equipment but also on the political stability of the countries in which large farms of this type are located.
The American group Caterpillar is currently the international leader in the manufacturing and production of materials destined for the construction sector. Its activities can be divided into a variety of different sectors, the major activity being the sale of machines and motors but also including the provision of financial services albeit at less than 5%.
With around a hundred production sites around the world, Caterpillar works in the American market as well as in Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The Caterpillar Group, although it operates in a highly specific activity sector, still has to face certain competition. Despite the opportunities offered by emerging countries and the acquisitions of competitive companies that enable the group to remain the leader in its sector, it is threatened by various competitors and setbacks due to policies implemented by different governments. This is why we offer you the opportunity here to learn about Caterpillar’s different competitors throughout the world. We recommend that you study these companies carefully, together with their financial reports and movements in their shareholdings and price before implementing your investment strategies. Here therefore are the major companies you should monitor:
In 2008 Caterpillar announced an agreement with Trimble for the creation of a collaborative company named VirtualSite Solutions, as well as a distribution agreement.
Quoted on the Euronext non Euro zone stock market, Caterpillar shares are also included in the calculation of the Dow Jones stock market index.
Here are some of the major events that have marked the financial and economic history of the Caterpillar Group over the last decade:
To conclude here is some basic but extremely important stock market information relating to Caterpillar Company shares and their position on the international stock markets.
Any self respecting investor that wishes to implement an investment strategy on the stock markets over the medium or long term will tell you that it is imperative that you really know the company of the asset upon which you plan to speculate before you take position. In fact, by analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the Caterpillar Company you will be far more capable of anticipating future movements in its share price and therefore in a position to further improve your strategies. This is what we offer you here by commencing with a detailed summary of this company’s advantages and strong points.
Firstly, the Caterpillar Group offers the advantage of being one of the largest companies in its activity sector worldwide. This has notably been possible due to the quality and breadth of its network throughout various countries on all the continents.
Caterpillar has also managed to ensure a stable income by investing in the quality of its after sales service which represents an ideal balanced level of efficacy throughout the world. Due to this the company has shown it is capable of positioning itself in a highly effective manner to face the competition and sell its products in all the respective markets.
We also appreciate the ability of the Caterpillar Group to diversify its range of products. In fact, in order to consistently respond to the different requirements of its clients it is always developing new complementary or additional products and holds many significant patents.
The Caterpillar Group can also count upon its strong and effective expansion strategy which is primarily based upon well thought out acquisition operations. This was notably the case with the recent acquisition of certain companies such as Bucyrus, EMD and MWM which have rapidly become highly profitable subsidiaries for the group and provided new benefits.
Finally, the Caterpillar Group can also count upon its considerable work force which constitutes over 150,000 employees throughout the world to guarantee its clients a rapid response to their requirements and meet production objectives under the best conditions.
Now that you have had the opportunity to learn about the strengths and advantages of Caterpillar shares you are probably eager to take a buy position on this stock market asset. However, before doing so you should also take the time to learn about the weak points and disadvantages of the Caterpillar Group that could negatively influence the profits of this company thereby rendering its shares less appealing for investors which in turn would lead to a fall in its price on the charts.
The first disadvantage of Caterpillar shares remains this group’s strong exposure to the European market. In fact, the sales achieved in Europe by Caterpillar represent no less than 25% of the group’s global income. Despite a highly judicious and well managed expansion programme the group is still directly exposed to the risk of a decrease in its activity and income in the case of an economic crisis in Europe, the sales throughout the rest of the world would not be enough to compensate for such a loss. This problem is even more of a threat as Europe has not succeeded in fully re-launching its growth.
Although the European market is of course a source of anxiety for the Caterpillar Group other markets are also undergoing a current crisis. We know for example that sales in Africa and the Middle East are currently decreasing overall and the state of the markets do not permit us to foresee a recovery in the near future. We can therefore expect to see a fall in major activity during the coming years with supplementary losses that will directly impact the group’s profitability.
Finally, the American market is also not safe from the possibility of a major loss in sales for the Caterpillar Group. The company sells a major part of its construction machinery to the real estate and construction sectors. As these markets are currently undergoing major crises this contributes to a decrease in orders for such items.
