Moran Wealth Management LLC Sells 8,307 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Moran Wealth Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 14.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 47,323 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 8,307 shares during the period. Caterpillar makes up 1.0% of Moran Wealth Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Moran Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $33,526,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 220.0% in the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 47.4% in the fourth quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Trading Up 0.2%

Caterpillar stock opened at $965.44 on Friday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1 year low of $388.09 and a 1 year high of $1,073.46. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $918.32 and its 200-day moving average is $769.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.35. The company has a market cap of $444.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.06, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.57.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The firm had revenue of $17.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.25 earnings per share. Caterpillar’s quarterly revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In related news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 360 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $906.00, for a total value of $326,160.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 530 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $480,180. This trade represents a 40.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.80, for a total value of $14,928,254.40. Following the transaction, the insider owned 46,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,210,388.80. This represents a 26.13% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target on Caterpillar to $1,218 from $1,043 and kept a buy rating, reinforcing bullish sentiment around the stock’s earnings and growth outlook. Article Link
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports highlighted Caterpillar as a momentum, long-term, and “trending” stock, suggesting investor interest remains strong and could help keep shares elevated. Article Link
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators pointed to Caterpillar’s role in powering data centers and other AI-related infrastructure, a theme that has helped explain the stock’s strong run. Article Link
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar also received fresh praise for strong backlog, earnings growth, and long-term expansion plans, which supports the case for continued upside. Article Link
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar announced a $5 million investment in Texas workforce training and manufacturing education, a positive long-term initiative but not likely a major near-term stock driver. Article Link
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street analyst coverage remains broadly optimistic, with multiple articles noting favorable average brokerage recommendations, though these do not always translate into reliable signals. Article Link
• Negative Sentiment: Michael Burry disclosed a first-ever short position in Caterpillar, arguing the stock’s AI-linked rally may have stretched valuation too far; that news is likely the main source of pressure on shares today. Article Link

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. DA Davidson raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their target price on Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,103.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $949.41.

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.