Caterpillar Announces $1 Billion Accelerated Stock Repurchase Program

PEORIA, Ill., July 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Societe Generale to purchase $1 billion of its common stock under an accelerated stock repurchase transaction. In April of 2013, the company announced a similar $1 billion transaction, which was completed in June of 2013.

"The continued strength of our balance sheet and strong cash flow puts us in a good position to reaffirm our commitment to stockholders, even in the midst of a downturn," said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman. "Repurchasing an additional $1 billion of Caterpillar stock in the third quarter of 2013 will bring our total 2013 stock repurchases to $2 billion. This, combined with the 15-percent increase in our quarterly dividend announced in June, clearly shows how we are taking advantage of our strong cash position to deliver on our commitments to our stockholders."

Pursuant to the accelerated stock repurchase agreement, Caterpillar has agreed to repurchase $1 billion of its common stock from Societe Generale, with an immediate delivery of approximately 11 million shares based on current market prices. The final number of shares to be repurchased and the aggregate cost to Caterpillar will be based on Caterpillar's volume-weighted average stock price during the term of the transaction, which is expected to be completed in September of 2013. In February 2007, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of $7.5 billion of Caterpillar stock, and in December 2011, the authorization was extended through December 2015. Through the end of the second quarter of 2013, $4.8 billion of the $7.5 billion authorization was spent.

About Caterpillar:
For more than 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent.  With 2012 sales and revenues of $65.875 billion, Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.  The company also is a leading services provider through Caterpillar Financial Services, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services and Progress Rail Services.  More information is available at: http://www.caterpillar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release relate to future events and expectations and are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Words such as "believe," "estimate," "will be," "will," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "project," "intend," "could," "should" or other similar words or expressions often identify forward-looking statements.  All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding our outlook, projections, forecasts or trend descriptions. These statements do not guarantee future performance, and we do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.

Caterpillar's actual results may differ materially from those described or implied in our forward-looking statements based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to: (i) global economic conditions and economic conditions in the industries and markets we serve; (ii) government monetary or fiscal policies and infrastructure spending; (iii) commodity or component price increases, fluctuations in demand for our products, or limited availability of raw materials and component products, including steel; (iv) our and our customers', dealers' and suppliers' ability to access and manage liquidity; (v) political and economic risks and instability, including national or international conflicts and civil unrest; (vi) our and Cat Financial's ability to: maintain credit ratings, avoid material increases in borrowing costs, and access capital markets; (vii) the financial condition and credit worthiness of Cat Financial's customers; (viii) changes in interest rates or market liquidity; (ix) changes in financial services regulation; (x) inability to realize expected benefits from acquisitions, including ERA Mining Machinery Limited, and divestitures, including the divestiture of the Bucyrus International, Inc. distribution business to our independent dealers; (xi) international trade and investment policies; (xii) market acceptance of our products and services; (xiii) changes in the competitive environment, including market share, pricing and geographic and product mix of sales; (xiv) successful implementation of capacity expansion projects, cost reduction initiatives and efficiency or productivity initiatives, including the Caterpillar Production System; (xv) inventory management decisions and sourcing practices of our dealers or original equipment manufacturers; (xvi) compliance with environmental laws and regulations; (xvii) alleged or actual violations of trade or anti-corruption laws and regulations; (xviii) additional tax expense or exposure; (xix) currency fluctuations; (xx) our or Cat Financial's compliance with financial covenants; (xxi) increased pension plan funding obligations; (xxii) union disputes or other labor matters; (xxiii) significant legal proceedings, claims, lawsuits or investigations; (xxiv) compliance requirements imposed if carbon emissions legislation and/or regulations are adopted; (xxv) changes in accounting standards; (xxvi) failure or breach of information technology security; (xxvii) adverse effects of natural disasters; and (xxviii) other factors described in more detail under "Item 1A.  Risk Factors" in our Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 19, 2013 for the year ended December 31, 2012.  This filing is available on our website at www.caterpillar.com/secfilings. 

SOURCE Caterpillar Inc.