For Caterpillar Inc., a bellwether of American industrial might, Donald Trump’s trade war is threatening to halt what was shaping up as a record year for profits.
Analysts have been predicting net income could reach an all-time high of $6.24 billion as expanding economies fuel robust demand for the manufacturer’s signature yellow diggers, bulldozers and dump trucks. But the shares had their worst first half since the recession of 2009, and they’ve been slow to rebound.
