Caterpillar, Inc. (NYSE:CAT) will unveil its latest earnings on Thursday, January 26, 2012. The average estimate of analysts is for profit of $1.73 per share, a rise of 17.7% from the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved up from $1.69. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved up. It has been unchanged at $1.73 during the last month. Analysts are projecting profit to rise by 62.3% versus last year to $6.80.

The company topped estimates last quarter after missing forecasts the quarter prior. In the third quarter, it reported net income of $1.93 per share against a mean estimate of profit of $1.59 per share. In the second quarter, it missed forecasts by 5 cents. On average, analysts predict $16.04 billion in revenue this quarter, a rise of 25.2% from the year ago quarter. Analysts are forecasting total revenue of $58.55 billion for the year, a rise of 37.5% from last year’s revenue of $42.59 billion.

Competitors to Watch: Deere & Company (NYSE:DE), General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), Astec Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTE), Columbus McKinnon Corp. (NASDAQ:CMCO), Manitowoc Company, Inc. (NYSE:MTW), Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CMI), CNH Global N.V. (NYSE:CNH), Navistar Intl. Corp. (NYSE:NAV), Terex Corporation (NYSE:TEX), and Lindsay Corporation (NYSE:LNN).

Nucor Corp (NYSE:NUE) will unveil its latest earnings on Thursday, January 26, 2012. The average estimate of analysts is for profit of 29 cents per share, a swing from a loss of 2 cents in the year earlier quarter. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved down from 43 cents. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved down. It has risen from 28 cents during the last month. For the year, analysts are projecting net income of $2.33 per share, a rise of more than fivefold from last year.

Last quarter, the company beat estimates by 6 cents, coming in at profit of 57 cents a share versus the estimate of net income of 51 cents a share. It marked the fourth straight quarter of beating estimates. On average, analysts predict $4.77 billion in revenue this quarter, a rise of 23.9% from the year ago quarter. Analysts are forecasting total revenue of $19.93 billion for the year, a rise of 25.8% from last year’s revenue of $15.84 billion.

Competitors to Watch: Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD), AK Steel Holding Corp. (NYSE:AKS), United States Steel Corp. (NYSE:X), Universal Stainless & Alloy Products (NASDAQ:USAP), Grupo Simec S.A.B. de C.V. (AMEX:SIM), Gerdau SA (NYSE:GGB), Worthington Industries, Inc. (NYSE:WOR), Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCHN) and Friedman Industries (AMEX:FRD).

To contact the reporter on this story: Derek Hoffman at staff.writers@wallstcheatsheet.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Damien Hoffman at editors@wallstcheatsheet.com

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