Trust Co. of Vermont Acquires New Shares in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Trust Co. of Vermont bought a new position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 11,962 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,738,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pacific Point Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $579,000. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 7,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,688,000 after acquiring an additional 2,519 shares during the last quarter. United Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 108.5% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 4,083 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,125 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its position in Caterpillar by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,147 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,551,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 6.5% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 572,165 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $222,120,000 after purchasing an additional 34,846 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of CAT stock opened at $800.11 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $367.79 billion, a PE ratio of 34.43, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.60. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $893.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is $837.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 1.37 and a quick ratio of 0.85. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $410.52 and a one year high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $1.95. The firm had revenue of $20.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.34 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.51% and a return on equity of 55.53%. The company’s revenue was up 23.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.72 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This is a boost from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is 28.06%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CAT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays lifted their price target on Caterpillar from $800.00 to $900.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. DA Davidson upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $845.00 to $882.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $1,002.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, HSBC raised their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $995.52.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar’s Construction Industries segment generated 35% revenue growth in the second quarter, supported by stronger demand, higher sales volumes and pricing. Digital technology and connected-equipment services could provide additional long-term growth opportunities. CAT’s Construction Revenues Up 35% in Q2: Can It Maintain This Pace?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts point to favorable earnings-estimate revisions and recent price strength as potential catalysts. Caterpillar’s latest quarterly results also showed substantial year-over-year revenue and earnings growth, with results exceeding consensus expectations. Why Caterpillar (CAT) Might be Well Poised for a Surge
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its quarterly dividend 8% to $1.63 per share and has now increased its annual dividend for 32 consecutive years, reinforcing Caterpillar’s appeal as an income-growth stock. However, the benefit is partly offset by the stock’s high price and consequently low yield. Caterpillar’s Dividend Case Is Stronger in 2026, But the Yield Is Holding It Back
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Joe Creed is scheduled to participate in a Wells Fargo investor discussion on September 10. The event could provide updates on demand, dealer inventories and guidance, but it is not an immediate earnings catalyst. Caterpillar CEO Joe Creed to Participate in Virtual Headquarters Visit with Wells Fargo
• Negative Sentiment: One analysis questions whether construction demand is being driven by durable end-market activity or dealer-channel ordering. That uncertainty raises concerns about a possible slowdown or inventory adjustment after the recent surge. Is Caterpillar Stock Relying on an Artificial Demand Story?
• Negative Sentiment: At a valuation above 34 times earnings, Caterpillar leaves less room for disappointment. Investors are also cautious that its data-center-related exposure could face political scrutiny, while the dividend yield remains limited at the current valuation.

About Caterpillar

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.