Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Stock: Kestra Investment Management LLC Boosts Stake

Kestra Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 49.6% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,792 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 926 shares during the quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $2,264,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. increased its stake in Caterpillar by 440.0% during the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. PFS Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 1,750.0% in the 3rd quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 37 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 93.8% in the 2nd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 31 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 1st quarter worth approximately $46,000. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director James C. Fish, Jr. bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $620.39 per share, with a total value of $620,390.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 4,714 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,924,518.46. This trade represents a 26.93% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Joseph Creed sold 32,401 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total transaction of $26,211,760.98. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 34,555 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,954,303.90. The trade was a 48.39% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on CAT shares. UBS Group cut their target price on Caterpillar from $925.00 to $750.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 26th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Caterpillar from $915.00 to $675.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Caterpillar from $1,155.00 to $840.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 26th. Needham & Company LLC set a $980.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,009.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $898.25.

Caterpillar News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Anthropic took over an order for 1.7 gigawatts of Caterpillar gas generators originally placed by OnePWR. The deal highlights demand for power equipment from AI companies and could support Caterpillar’s generator business. Article: Caterpillar Stocks Jump 6.61% as Anthropic Takes Over $3.4 Billion Generator Order
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar and Phoenix Service Partners reported an ultra-low-methane emissions technology for large gas-compression systems. It may help customers meet environmental and permitting requirements, though the article does not quantify potential sales. Article: Why Is Caterpillar Pushing Ultra Low Methane Gas Compression?
• Neutral Sentiment: CAT’s rebound accompanied a strong Dow rally, suggesting broad-market strength contributed to the move. Technical analysis said the shares cleared several daily resistance levels but that the broader trend remained weak. Article: Dow’s nearly 700-point rally highlighted by gains for Amazon.com Inc., Caterpillar shares Article: Caterpillar stock support and resistance levels after 5.8% rebound
• Negative Sentiment: A recent report noted CAT had fallen about 10% in the prior week despite record quarterly sales and a $78 billion backlog, pointing to lingering concerns about the stock’s momentum. Article: Caterpillar Stock Sinks 10% in a Week Despite Record Backlog
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage of Michael Burry cashing in on Caterpillar put options after a reported fourfold gain highlights that bearish investors had profited from the stock’s recent weakness; it does not establish his current position. Article: Michael Burry Cashes In On Caterpillar Puts After 4X Gain

Caterpillar Stock Up 7.1%

Shares of NYSE CAT opened at $598.35 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $275.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.47, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.65. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $756.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $806.00. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1 year low of $537.08 and a 1 year high of $1,073.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 0.88.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The industrial products company reported $7.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.06 by $0.14. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 59.87% and a net margin of 15.21%. The firm had revenue of $20.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.76 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.95 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 26th will be given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, October 26th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is 25.58%.

Caterpillar Profile

Caterpillar Inc is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, engines, turbines, and related products and services. Its offerings include earthmoving and material-handling machines, diesel and natural gas engines, power-generation systems, and equipment and technologies used in mining and transportation. The company’s products are commonly sold under the Cat brand.

Caterpillar serves customers in markets around the world through a network of independent dealers. Its businesses also provide parts, maintenance, equipment rental, and other support services, as well as financing and insurance through its financial services operations.

The company was formed in 1925 through the merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company and the C.