Synovus Financial Corp Grows Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Synovus Financial Corp grew its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 9.2% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 45,606 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,826 shares during the quarter. Synovus Financial Corp’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $21,769,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at about $2,165,899,000. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 17,262 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $8,237,000 after purchasing an additional 1,181 shares in the last quarter. Groupe la Francaise grew its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 82.0% during the 2nd quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 27,246 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $10,820,000 after purchasing an additional 12,278 shares during the period. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA increased its position in Caterpillar by 155.9% during the 3rd quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 47,231 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $21,014,000 after purchasing an additional 28,773 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caprock Group LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the third quarter valued at approximately $8,893,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE CAT opened at $752.97 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.44. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1 year low of $267.30 and a 1 year high of $789.81. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $643.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $548.14. The firm has a market cap of $350.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.01, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.58.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.67 by $0.49. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $5.14 earnings per share. Caterpillar’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be given a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.09%.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar completed the acquisition of mining software firm RPMGlobal, expanding its data‑driven mining technology and software portfolio—a strategic move to boost recurring, higher‑margin services and digital solutions revenue. Caterpillar Bolsters Mining Technology Solutions with RPMGlobal Acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage highlights Caterpillar’s exposure to data‑center power and electrification demand—an attractive, long‑term growth market that could diversify revenue beyond heavy equipment. High‑tech data centers get a powerful assist from a century‑old company
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar presented at Barclays’ industrial conference; the transcript may contain management commentary on demand, margins and capital allocation—useful for guidance but not an immediate earnings surprise. Barclays 43rd Annual Industrial Select Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and feature pieces (Zacks, MarketBeat) are raising investor attention and highlighting Caterpillar vs. peers; this can affect sentiment and flows but doesn’t change fundamentals immediately. Caterpillar vs. Deere: Which Equipment Stock is a Better Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sales: Chief Accounting Officer William Schaupp sold 972 shares (filed with the SEC), reducing his stake significantly—multiple insider disposals can spook investors. SEC Filing – William E. Schaupp Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 1,764 shares (≈55% cut of his holding); another material insider reduction that can add short‑term selling pressure. SEC Filing – Rodney Michael Shurman Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Senior insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares (~$6.13M at ~\$776.90), trimming his position ~14.5%; a large, recent sale that investors often interpret as a near‑term negative signal. SEC Filing – Anthony D. Fassino Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered Q2 EPS estimates for Caterpillar, indicating softer near‑term earnings expectations—this analyst downgrade pressure can weigh on the stock until guidance or results change the outlook. Q2 EPS Estimates Lowered by Zacks Research

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $776.90, for a total value of $6,130,517.90. Following the sale, the insider owned 46,643 shares in the company, valued at approximately $36,236,946.70. This represents a 14.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 1,764 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $763.39, for a total transaction of $1,346,619.96. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,440 shares in the company, valued at $1,099,281.60. The trade was a 55.06% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 141,172 shares of company stock valued at $96,514,673. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $569.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $677.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $729.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $702.95.

Caterpillar Company Profile

Caterpillar Inc is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and locomotives. The company’s product portfolio includes earthmoving machines such as excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders and off‑highway trucks, as well as a range of power generation products including generator sets and power systems for industrial and commercial use. Caterpillar serves customers across heavy construction, mining, energy, transportation and related industries with both equipment and integrated technology solutions.

In addition to manufacturing, Caterpillar provides a broad range of aftermarket parts and support services, including maintenance, repair, remanufacturing and fleet management tools.