Caterpillar's sales rose in the first quarter as market conditions for the machinery company begin to improve and dealers increase their inventory levels.
Revenue climbed to $11.89 billion from $10.64 billion thanks to increased sales volume driven by higher end-user demand and changes in dealer inventories.
Dealers boosted inventories by $700 million during the first quarter compared with $100 million in the prior-year period. The performance easily beat the $11.05 billion in revenue analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research expected.
Sales for the construction industries segment rose 27%. North American sales climbed slightly, with higher end-user demand driven mostly by residential construction.