23,700 Shares in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Purchased by Louisiana State Employees Retirement System

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 23,700 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,791,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CAT. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Caterpillar by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Caterpillar by 47.4% during the fourth quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Caterpillar Price Performance

Shares of Caterpillar stock opened at $1,053.62 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $892.87 and its 200 day moving average is $753.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.35. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $373.04 and a one year high of $1,057.07. The stock has a market cap of $485.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.59.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. The company had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.53 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The firm’s revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.25 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company 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 positive change from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.80, for a total value of $14,928,254.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 46,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,210,388.80. This represents a 26.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Jason Kaiser sold 5,642 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $883.03, for a total value of $4,982,055.26. Following the sale, the insider owned 9,594 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,471,789.82. This represents a 37.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

More Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar is being boosted by a record backlog, AI-related power generation demand, and aggressive capital returns, which support the case for continued earnings strength. Caterpillar Soars But Analysts Remain Cautious
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reportedly raised its price recommendation on Caterpillar, reinforcing bullish sentiment around the stock’s dividend growth and long-term earnings power. Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks with Growing Dividends
• Positive Sentiment: Several writeups pointed to Caterpillar’s strong year-to-date and multi-year performance, suggesting investors are still re-rating the stock higher on expectations for continued growth. Caterpillar (CAT) Stock Near $984 After Big Rally Is There Still Upside Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles comparing Caterpillar to other industrial and mining stocks are mostly informational and do not appear to add a fresh catalyst on their own. Unpacking Q1 Earnings: Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) In The Context Of Other Heavy Machinery Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: The Caterpillar Foundation’s $2.5 million initiative for America’s 250th anniversary is positive from a corporate social responsibility standpoint, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Caterpillar Foundation Announces $2.5 Million Initiative in Celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage noted that analysts remain cautious after the stock’s big rally, implying valuation concerns and the possibility of upside slowing from here. Caterpillar Soars But Analysts Remain Cautious

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $905.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. DA Davidson raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $940.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $769.00 to $879.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $939.86.

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.