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

Merit Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 9.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 33,382 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,743 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $15,928,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 2.3% in the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,418,321 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,656,286,000 after buying an additional 208,196 shares in the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Caterpillar by 36,842.1% in the 2nd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,299,751 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,833,836,000 after acquiring an additional 7,279,991 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,165,899,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 6.7% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 4,204,445 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,386,626,000 after purchasing an additional 264,054 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 1.0% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,337,915 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,295,432,000 after purchasing an additional 33,467 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CAT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Caterpillar in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $560.00 price objective on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Caterpillar from $557.00 to $630.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $570.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $513.00 to $645.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $506.00 to $581.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Caterpillar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $616.00.

Caterpillar News Summary

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

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In related news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 8,184 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $570.18, for a total transaction of $4,666,353.12. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 41,512 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,669,312.16. This represents a 16.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jason Kaiser sold 10,707 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $563.60, for a total transaction of $6,034,465.20. Following 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. Over the last three months, insiders sold 61,895 shares of company stock valued at $34,007,516. 0.33% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

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

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

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.01%.

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.