Caterpillar worldwide machinery sales dropped 10 percent in the three-month period ending in September the company announced, a day before full disclosure of its third-quarter financial results. However, sales in North America increased 8 percent, the information showed. The information is based on unaudited reports voluntarily provided to Caterpillar by its independent dealers and is not subject to Caterpillar’s internal controls over financial reporting.
The hardest-hit area was Caterpillar’s Resource Industries, which is primarily mining, with a 28-percent worldwide decline, although North America dropped only 3 percent. Asia/Pacific declined 48 percent.
Construction sales declined 3 percent, although this segment increased 11 percent in North America.
Caterpillar is scheduled to report its third quarter earnings Thursday, Oct. 23.
