Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co trimmed its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT – Free Report) by 2.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 76,416 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 2,140 shares during the quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $43,776,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,385,185 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,572,681,000 after buying an additional 442,164 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 3,949.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,228,058 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,494,568,000 after buying an additional 5,098,964 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,553,930 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,695,757,000 after buying an additional 609,023 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,802,068 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,337,007,000 after buying an additional 58,993 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 24.3% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,375,710 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,176,870,000 after buying an additional 464,036 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Caterpillar News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat — Caterpillar reported Q1 revenue of $17.42B and non‑GAAP EPS of $5.54, topping estimates; management cited strong data‑center demand and capacity expansion that helped drive backlog and margins. CAT Q1 Deep Dive: Data Center Demand and Capacity Expansion Drive Strong Results
- Positive Sentiment: BofA hike — Bank of America raised its price target (most recently to $989) and kept a Buy rating, citing power-generation and energy tailwinds, record backlog and parts recovery as drivers of further upside. BofA Securities adjusts Caterpillar price target to $989
- Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raises target — Jefferies increased its price target to $1,045, signaling conviction in continued demand across CAT’s end markets and supporting analyst momentum behind the stock. Jefferies Financial Group Increases Caterpillar Price Target to $1,045.00
- Positive Sentiment: Wave of analyst bullishness — Additional broker notes (JPMorgan, Robert W. Baird, Wells Fargo, Daiwa, Sanford Bernstein, Citigroup) either raised targets or flagged CAT as a buy/overweight, reinforcing the buy-side narrative. Caterpillar Stock Price Expected to Rise, Robert W. Baird Analyst Says
- Positive Sentiment: Quality TV endorsement — Jim Cramer highlighted Caterpillar as a beneficiary of the massive data‑center/AI infrastructure build‑out, which reinforces investor focus on CAT’s exposure to power, cooling and on-site generation demand. Jim Cramer on Caterpillar: “It’s Got a Ton of Business From the Data Center Build-Out”
- Neutral Sentiment: Talent pipeline/newsflow — Caterpillar signed 16 local high‑school seniors to manufacturing roles (hiring/PR positive but not material to near‑term earnings). Caterpillar signs 16 high school seniors to manufacturing roles
Caterpillar Price Performance
Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The company had revenue of $17.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.25 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 23.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Caterpillar Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be given a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is 30.06%.
Insider Activity at Caterpillar
In other news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $718.93, for a total transaction of $1,797,325.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 35,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,222,221.19. This represents a 6.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $36,236,946.70. This trade represents a 14.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 60,164 shares of company stock worth $43,748,068. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on CAT shares. Truist Financial set a $1,043.00 price objective on Caterpillar in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Caterpillar from $860.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Raymond James Financial restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $677.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $862.32.
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.
See Also
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Caterpillar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Caterpillar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
