The second-best Dow performer, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA), had returned 80%.
A bulldozer maker more than doubled the return of the chip company that defined the AI trade.
Then Caterpillar reported first-quarter 2026 results before the open and the stock ripped roughly 9% to a fresh all-time high near $889.
The catalyst is no longer hiding.
Best-Performing Dow Jones Stocks Over The Past Year
Company
1-Year Performance
Caterpillar Inc.
+190.74%
Nvidia Corp.
+85.07%
The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS)
+68.76%
Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)
+57.60%
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
+47.12%
Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX)
+42.53%
Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)
+40.60%
Updated as of April 30, 2026
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The Q1 Print That Confirmed The Trade
Caterpillar reported Q1 2026 sales and revenues of $17.4 billion, up 22% versus $14.2 billion a year earlier and roughly $900 million ahead of the LSEG consensus near $16.5 billion.
Adjusted earnings per share came in at $5.54, up 30% year-over-year and almost a full dollar above the $4.62 consensus.
The headline number that reset Wall Street’s frame was the backlog: $63 billion at quarter-end, up $28 billion or 79% from a year ago, and $11.5 billion higher than just three months earlier.
That is not a cyclical machinery print. That is a multi-year visibility number.
Q1 2026, Caterpillar At A Glance
Sales and revenue: $17.4 billion, up 22% ...
