Sterling Capital Management LLC Purchases 2,383 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 41.6% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 8,111 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,383 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $5,746,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Caterpillar by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 22,420 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $12,844,000 after buying an additional 604 shares during the period. Juno Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at about $877,000. ARK Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Caterpillar by 11.7% in the 3rd quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 31,144 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $14,860,000 after acquiring an additional 3,268 shares in the last quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Caterpillar by 19.1% during the third quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 116,589 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $55,630,000 after acquiring an additional 18,676 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,517,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Caterpillar Stock Down 5.7%

Shares of NYSE CAT opened at $996.73 on Friday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12-month low of $382.75 and a 12-month high of $1,057.07. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $897.41 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $755.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $459.08 billion, a PE ratio of 49.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. The firm had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.25 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on CAT shares. Barclays boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Oppenheimer set a $980.00 target price on Caterpillar and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Caterpillar from $1,050.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Daiwa Securities Group raised their price target on Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $905.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $941.45.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target on Caterpillar to $1,200 from $1,165 and reiterated an outperform rating, signaling continued upside confidence. MarketScreener
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar’s earnings backdrop remains strong: the company recently beat estimates with higher-than-expected revenue and EPS, supported by robust demand and a record backlog theme that has helped the stock outperform this year.
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar Foundation announced a $2.5 million initiative tied to America’s 250th anniversary, which is positive for corporate image but likely limited direct impact on shares. Caterpillar Foundation Announces $2.5 Million Initiative in Celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary
• Negative Sentiment: Investor sentiment is being weighed down by margin pressure: a Zacks note said Q1 2026 operating margin slipped to 18% as tariff-related costs rose, and management expects $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion of tariff impact for 2026. Caterpillar’s Operating Margins Remain Under Pressure: Rebound Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Broad market coverage said Caterpillar was one of the main drags on the Dow in Friday trading, suggesting weakness in the stock was large enough to influence the index. Nasdaq Rises. Caterpillar and Goldman Are Dragging on the Dow.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent economic data showed advance trade in goods falling in May, which can be read as a softer trade backdrop for industrial-demand names like Caterpillar. Advance Trade in Goods fall in May

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total transaction of $11,444,205.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 49,825 shares in the company, valued at $45,236,615.75. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total value of $14,399,860.54. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,935 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,631,913.85. The trade was a 22.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar 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.