Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Shares Bought by Merit Financial Group LLC

Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 8.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 33,381 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 2,742 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $15,928,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Pacific Point Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $579,000. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 51.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 7,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,688,000 after buying an additional 2,519 shares in the last quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 1st quarter valued at $1,000,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC lifted its stake in Caterpillar by 12.2% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 13,036 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,300,000 after acquiring an additional 1,413 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GW Henssler & Associates Ltd. boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 12.7% during the 1st quarter. GW Henssler & Associates Ltd. now owns 1,017 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $335,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stores Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI/data?center demand is driving a surge in generator sales, which executives and reporters say is the fastest?growing segment and a key reason for CAT’s rally. This demand is translating into higher revenue and a re?rating of the stock. Caterpillar’s Data Center Generators Fuel Sale Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage (WSJ/MSN/Newsbytes) highlights AI as the catalyst behind higher generator orders and investor enthusiasm; several outlets tie recent price strength to this secular shift away from purely construction equipment. Caterpillar’s Surging Stock Is Fueled by AI, Not Yellow Excavators
• Positive Sentiment: Market recognition: CAT has become the Dow’s best performer this year, a sign that momentum and investor positioning are reinforcing the rally. (Includes analyst commentary on the move.) Caterpillar becomes the Dow’s best performer this year
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation: Caterpillar introduced a Track Clamp Master Link to simplify excavator track installation — minor revenue/aftermarket benefit but supports the company’s product pipeline and aftermarket positioning. Cat’s New Track Clamp Master Link Eases Excavator Track Installation
• Neutral Sentiment: Centennial/brand pieces celebrate CAT’s 100?year history and workforce; positive for reputation but limited direct near?term financial impact. Celebrating 100 years and the people behind Caterpillar machines
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/investor debate: pieces question whether the stock is too extended after a >100% rally since April; valuation and mean reversion risks are being discussed even as fundamentals improve. Is it too late to buy Caterpillar after its bullish 2025 run?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reshoring theme: analysts include CAT among manufacturers that could benefit from reshoring trends into 2026, a structural tailwind for equipment demand. 3 Manufacturing Stocks to Benefit From Reshoring in 2026

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of CAT opened at $577.64 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $570.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $481.44. The firm has a market cap of $270.32 billion, a PE ratio of 29.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.57. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12-month low of $267.30 and a 12-month high of $627.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The industrial products company reported $4.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.52 by $0.43. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 47.16% and a net margin of 14.34%.The firm had revenue of $17.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.72 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $5.17 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.01%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $560.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Monday. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $506.00 to $581.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $570.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $408.00 to $569.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $616.00.

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Lange Bob De sold 14,638 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $562.36, for a total transaction of $8,231,825.68. Following the transaction, the insider owned 80,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,106,333.24. The trade was a 15.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Jason Kaiser sold 10,707 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $563.60, for a total value of $6,034,465.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 8,649 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,874,576.40. This trade represents a 55.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 61,895 shares of company stock valued at $34,007,516 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

About Caterpillar

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.