$1,000 in Caterpillar, Inc. in 2004 → $33,943 today
If you'd invested $1,000 in Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT) on January 1, 2004 — at the December 2003 month-end close of $24.05 — and held to the latest close (2026-08-), you'd have $33,943. That's a +3294.3% total return — beating the S&P 500, where the same $1,000 became $6,932.
Nearby years: 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 all years →
FAQ
How much is $1,000 invested in CAT in 2004 worth today?
$1,000 invested in Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT) at the month-end close of 2003-12- would be worth $33,943 at the latest month-end close (2026-08-), a total return of +3294.3% with dividends reinvested.
Did $1,000 in CAT in 2004 beat the market?
Over the same span, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,932 — so Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT) beat the index by +389.6%.
What does "month-end close" mean for this calculation?
The scenario invests at the December 2003 month-end close (the price entering 2004) and values the position at the most recent month-end close (2026-08-). Intra-month extremes are shown on the CAT calculator page.
Is the 2004–2026 return in CAT typical?
No single year is typical. CAT's best calendar-year return since 1962 was about +86.2%, and its worst was -36.8%.
Methodology
Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT) total-return data from January 2004 through the latest month-end close (2026-08-).
The entry price is the 2003 December month-end close and the exit is the latest available month-end close, both from adjusted (split and dividend) Yahoo Finance historical data.
Month-end resolution, no taxes or fees, and history never guarantees the future. For exact-date precision (including buying at a panic low), use the CAT calculator page.
Compute your own CAT scenario
Data: Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08-. Not financial advice.