1,223 Shares in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Acquired by Madison Asset Management LLC

Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,223 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,302,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,372,000. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 2.8% during the fourth 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 last quarter. DSG Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the first quarter worth approximately $1,226,000. Cornerstone Planning LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,517,000. Finally, RiverFront Investment Group LLC boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 21.1% in the fourth quarter. RiverFront Investment Group LLC now owns 8,915 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $5,107,000 after acquiring an additional 1,552 shares during the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings expectations: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS forecast for Caterpillar to $27.50 from $24.78, above the current analyst consensus of $27.14. The firm maintains a “Hold” rating, so the estimate increase is positive but not a strong bullish endorsement. Erste Group Bank Predicts Stronger Earnings for Caterpillar
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable: Caterpillar has received a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, while a separate analysis highlighted the stock as a potential beneficiary of improving industrial activity. However, brokerage recommendations can be overly optimistic and may have limited immediate impact. Caterpillar Receives Consensus Rating of Moderate Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Improving durable-goods demand: July durable-goods orders increased 1.1%, supporting the view that a manufacturing recovery could benefit Caterpillar’s equipment demand and broader industrial stocks. 4 Industrial Stocks to Grab on Robust Jump in Durable Goods Orders
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are watching the pullback: Commentary focused on Caterpillar’s recent decline, suggesting the stock’s technical performance and elevated valuation remain important considerations even after strong quarterly earnings. Why We’re Watching the Caterpillar Stock Pullback
• Negative Sentiment: Market-wide pressure: Caterpillar was among the stocks weighing on the Dow as investors reduced exposure to major companies, indicating that broader market sentiment—not just company-specific fundamentals—is contributing to the weakness. NVIDIA Corp., Caterpillar Share Losses Lead Dow’s Fall
• Negative Sentiment: CEO insider selling: CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares for approximately $26.2 million, reducing his position by 48.39%. The sale may concern investors, although insider transactions can reflect personal financial planning rather than a change in the company’s outlook. SEC Insider Transaction Filing

Insider Activity

In other Caterpillar news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total value of $26,211,760.98. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,555 shares in the company, valued at $27,954,303.90. This represents a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.33% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Caterpillar Trading Down 2.4%

CAT opened at $778.59 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $885.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $838.23. The firm has a market cap of $357.89 billion, a PE ratio of 33.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.60. Caterpillar Inc. has a twelve month low of $410.52 and a twelve month high of $1,073.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.37.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $1.95. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.51% and a return on equity of 55.53%. The company had revenue of $20.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.34 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.72 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.35 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th were paid a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 20th. This is a positive change 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%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is presently 28.06%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CAT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Argus upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,118.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Erste Group Bank cut Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $925.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $980.00 target price on Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $995.52.

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.