|  **CATERPILLAR                FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION** POWERNOTES                (R) With                Maturities of 9 months or more from Date of Issue  |
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| Registration                No. 333-124310                                                                                                                                              |   | Trade                Date: | 05/21/07 |
| Filed                Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)                                                                                                                                         |   | Issue                Date: | 05/24/07 |
| PRICING                SUPPLEMENT NO. 973                                                                                                                                               |   |   |   |
| (To                Prospectus Supplement dated July 7, 2005 & Prospectus dated May 13,                2005)                                                                         |   |   |   |
| The                Date of this Pricing Supplement: May 21, 2007                                                                                                                        |   |   |   |
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|------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|--------------------------|--------|--------------------------------------------------|--------|---------------------------|--------|--------------------------|--------|-----------------|--------|--------|--------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| CUSIP                or CommonCode |                                         | StatedInterestRate                (1)           |                            | Maturity                 |   | Price                toPublic                (2) |   | Discounts&Commissions |   | InterestPaymentFrequency |   | SurvivorsOption |   | Yes/No |   | SUBJECT                TO REDEMPTION OR REPAYMENTDate                and terms of redemption or repayment (including any applicable regular                or                special record dates) |
|  14912HDA5                    |                                         | 5.60%                                           |                            | 05/15/22                 |   | 100%                                             |   | 1.967%                    |   | Monthly                  |   | YES             |   | YES    |   | Callable                at 100% beginning 05/15/10 and monthly thereafter.                                                                                                                         |
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| Principal                Amount    | Proceeds                                     | Dealer                                          | 1st                Payment Date | Day                Count |
|                               |                                         |                                            |                            |                     |
| $4,259,000.00                      | $4,175,225.47                                | LaSalle                Financial Services, Inc. | 06/15/07                        | 30/360                   |
|                               |                                         |                                            |                            |                     |
| Yield                (3)           | Moody’s                /S&P Rating |                                            |                            |                     |
|                               |                                         |                                            |                            |                     |
| 5.666                              | A2/A                                         |                                            |                            |                     |

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|----------------------------------------------|--------|---------------------------|--------|--------|--------|-------------------------------------------|--------|
| Original                Issue Discount Note: |   | Yes o No x |   |   |   | Total                Amount of OID:  | N/A    |

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| (1)    | The                interest rates on the PowerNotes ® may be changed by Caterpillar Financial                Services Corporation from time to time, but any such change will                not                affect the interest rate on any PowerNotes ® offered prior to the                effective date of the change. After the issuance of the PowerNotes®                covered by this Pricing Supplement, $520.292 mm principal amount                of                PowerNotes® remain available for sale pursuant to the accompanying                Prospectus Supplement. |
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| (2)    | Expressed                as a percentage of aggregate principal amount. Actual Price to Public                may                be less, and will be determined by prevailing market prices at the                time of                purchase as set forth in the confirmation sheet.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
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| (3)    | Yields                are quoted on a semi-annual bond equivalent yield                basis.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |