US industrials outfit Caterpillar (CAT:NYSE) is a big, globally diversified business which operates across several economically sensitive markets.

As such, its quarterly update on 1 August will not only be a marker for the health of the company itself but also for the wider global economy.

Its core business areas are construction, mining, energy and transportation. Thanks in part to its own efficiencies and robust pricing the company has been able to fend off inflationary pressures and earnings have typically come in ahead of expectations. Out of the last four quarters reported, just one has fallen short.

As well as providing some wider insights, this latest update from Caterpillar may also reveal if analysts’ worries expressed at the time of its first quarter numbers in April – that a flat order book, quarter-on-quarter – was a sign of a slowdown in purchases of Caterpillar’s kit.

That initially led to some weakness in the shares but in the last two months they have regained momentum.

The Q1 report was otherwise strong, with earnings per share coming in at $4.91 per share against the forecast $3.78 per share as the company benefited from infrastructure-related demand and a ramp-up in investment in the energy sector in response to higher prices.

US UPDATES OVER THE NEXT 7 DAYS

QUARTERLY RESULTS

28 July: ExxonMobil, Procter & Gamble, Chevron, Aon, Colgate-Palmovile

31 July: Arista Networks, Republic Services, Simon Property, Global Payments, Illumina, Loews

1 August: Merck&Co, Pfizer, AMD, Starbucks, Gilead, Marriott International, Marathon Petroleum, AIG, Electronic Arts

2 August: Caterpillar, CVS Health, PayPal, Equinix, Occidental, Phillips66, MetLife, Kraft Heinz, Yum! Brands

3 August: Apple, ConocoPhillips, Amgen, Stryker, Booking, Cigna, Regeneron Pharma, Fortinet, Moderna, Warner Bros Discovery

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