Caterpillar ($CAT@US) has reported a rise in first-quarter profit due to increased U.S. infrastructure spending, which kept its order books full and softened the hit from higher manufacturing costs. The Biden administration’s infrastructure legislation encouraged spending in the construction sector, spurring demand for machinery maker excavators, bulldozers, and trucks. Caterpillar's energy customers also placed more orders for parts and engines as drilling activities surged with higher oil and gas prices. Caterpillar's sales and revenue for the first quarter rose to $15.9 billion from $13.6 billion a year ago, and adjusted profit rose to $4.91 per share from $2.88 a year earlier.