Caterpillar Inc (CAT) dividend history and payment record
Caterpillar Inc pays dividends quarterly. We hold 210 payments for it, going back to January 1962 — the full record is below, with what it has paid and when. We don't publish a predicted next ex-dividend date for CAT. As soon as the company declares one it will appear at the top of this page; until then the record below is what we hold.
CAT dividend at a glance
| Most recent payment | $1.63 per share, July 20, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Indicated annual dividend | $6.52 per share, at the current rate and cadence |
| Payment frequency | Quarterly |
| Change over the past year | Raised 7.9%, from $1.51 to $1.63 |
| 5-year growth rate | 8.0% a year, compounded ($1.11 → $1.63) |
| Consecutive years of increases | 6, in the record we hold |
| Typical time to payment | Paid about 32 days after the ex-date |
| History on file | 210 payments since January 1962 |
Caterpillar Inc's dividend schedule
Caterpillar Inc has paid quarterly across the 64 years of records we hold, with the most recent ex-date on July 20, 2026. Its ex-dates usually land in the middle of the month.
Payment follows the ex-date by about 32 days, based on the announcements we hold for CAT.
Increases have a season: of the 18 raises in our record, most take effect with the July payment, so that is the ex-date to watch for a change in the amount. The most recent was 7.9%, effective with the July 2026 ex-date.
CAT dividend history
The last 16 payments on record, of 210 going back to January 1962.
| Ex-date | Amount |
|---|---|
| Jul 20, 2026 | $1.63 |
| Apr 20, 2026 | $1.51 |
| Jan 20, 2026 | $1.51 |
| Oct 20, 2025 | $1.51 |
| Jul 21, 2025 | $1.51 |
| Apr 21, 2025 | $1.41 |
| Jan 21, 2025 | $1.41 |
| Oct 21, 2024 | $1.41 |
| Jul 22, 2024 | $1.41 |
| Apr 19, 2024 | $1.30 |
| Jan 19, 2024 | $1.30 |
| Oct 20, 2023 | $1.30 |
| Jul 19, 2023 | $1.30 |
| Apr 21, 2023 | $1.20 |
| Jan 19, 2023 | $1.20 |
| Oct 21, 2022 | $1.20 |
Amounts are per share as reported on each ex-date, and are not restated for later share splits — a split shows up here as a step down in the per-share amount. Shown for schedule context, not as a yield.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to own CAT before the ex-dividend date?
- Yes. You must already hold the shares when trading opens on the ex-dividend date to receive the payment. Buying on the ex-date itself is too late — the seller keeps that dividend. See ex-date vs record date vs payment date for how the dates fit together.
- How often does CAT pay a dividend?
- Caterpillar Inc has historically paid quarterly, across 210 payments since January 1962.
- How much does CAT pay per share?
- The most recent payment was $1.63 per share, with an ex-date of July 20, 2026. At that rate and frequency the indicated annual dividend is $6.52 a share. This is the cash amount, not a yield — a yield depends on the share price you pay.