Caterpillar Inc.: The Bear Case for 2016

Caterpillar may need more time to dig itself out of the hole. Image source: Company website

When Caterpillar(NYSE: CAT) issued an unexpectedly dismal outlook for its first quarter a couple of weeks ago, the stock curiously continued to inch higher. Investors, perhaps, believed that the worst was over for the heavy-equipment manufacturer. But that may be far from the truth, as times have been tough for the entire industry. The Manitowoc Company (NYSE: MTW)is aggressively restructuring to combat the sluggish demand for construction equipment, and mining giant Joy Global (NYSE: JOY) expects its 2016 sales to drop by 22% as miners continue to delay or scrap expansion projects.

Should we expect, then, that investors' optimism will be short-lived? While Caterpillar bulls have fairly good reasons to be excited -- as I highlighted ina recent article -- the bears could soon take charge, given some of the massive challenges ahead for the company. Check out the slideshow below for the bear argument on Caterpillar.

Caterpillar: The Bear Case for 2016 from

The article Caterpillar Inc.: The Bear Case for 2016 originally appeared on Fool.com.

Neha Chamaria has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.