Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Stock Holdings Boosted by Groupe la Francaise

Groupe la Francaise boosted its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 66.7% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 54,220 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 21,685 shares during the quarter. Groupe la Francaise’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $38,273,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pacific Point Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $579,000. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in 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 period. United Bank increased its position in Caterpillar by 108.5% in 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 during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake 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 valued at $3,551,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in Caterpillar by 6.5% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 572,165 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $222,120,000 after acquiring an additional 34,846 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $922.92, for a total value of $22,354,968.24. Following the transaction, the insider owned 86,029 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $79,397,884.68. This represents a 21.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total value of $11,444,205.55. Following the sale, the insider owned 49,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $45,236,615.75. This trade represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup raised their price target on Caterpillar from $1,020.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $900.00 price objective (down from $1,200.00) on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Argus upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective 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. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $966.29.

Caterpillar Price Performance

NYSE:CAT opened at $807.88 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $925.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $811.49. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $405.46 and a 52-week high of $1,073.46. The firm has a market cap of $372.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.21, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.57.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The company had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.25 EPS. Caterpillar’s revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.45%.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar announced up to $10 million for workforce development in Illinois, part of its broader five-year, $100 million Building the Future Workforce Initiative. The investment is intended to address manufacturing and technician shortages, supporting long-term operating capacity and regional growth. Caterpillar Invests in the Future of Manufacturing Talent in Illinois
• Positive Sentiment: Several investment articles remain bullish, arguing that Caterpillar’s recent decline could create an attractive entry point for long-term investors ahead of earnings. The company has also benefited from strong demand, with its latest reported quarter showing revenue growth and earnings above analyst expectations. Here’s Why Caterpillar Is a Buy Before Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is focused on Caterpillar’s second-quarter results, including key operating metrics such as sales, margins and segment performance. The earnings release could determine whether the recent demand strength offsets concerns about valuation and end-market risks. Unlocking Q2 Potential of Caterpillar
• Negative Sentiment: Robert W. Baird downgraded CAT from Outperform to Neutral and reduced its price target to $900 from $1,200. Analyst Mig Dobre cited growing backlash and uncertainty surrounding the data-center construction boom, which had helped drive enthusiasm for Caterpillar’s power-generation products. Baird Just Downgraded Caterpillar Stock
• Negative Sentiment: The downgrade intensified concerns that Caterpillar trades at a historically elevated valuation and could be vulnerable if AI-related infrastructure spending slows. Commentary also noted bearish positioning, including Michael Burry’s reported negative view of the 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.