Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Stock Sold by Vest Financial LLC

Vest Financial LLC lowered its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 7.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 70,326 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 5,740 shares during the quarter. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $57,020,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in CAT. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $40,457,153,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at $5,818,150,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 68,427.2% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,140,603 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,224,992,000 after purchasing an additional 3,136,020 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,192,710,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Caterpillar during the second quarter worth about $2,783,451,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CAT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Freedom Broker raised Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $980.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $900.00 to $925.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 10th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Caterpillar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $1,100.00 to $950.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $967.83.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In related news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total value of $26,211,760.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 34,555 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,954,303.90. This trade represents a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Improving earnings outlook: Caterpillar has a strong history of exceeding quarterly estimates, and analysts see the company as having favorable conditions for another earnings beat. Its latest reported quarter also substantially exceeded consensus expectations for earnings and revenue. Will Caterpillar Beat Estimates Again
• Positive Sentiment: Strong backlog and raised outlook: Caterpillar is supported by a record $72 billion backlog, strong cash flow and an increased 2026 sales-growth outlook. Although the dividend was held steady, these factors could support future dividend growth and capital returns. CAT Keeps Dividend Unchanged
• Positive Sentiment: Rating and analyst support: Caterpillar was upgraded to Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reflecting greater optimism about its earnings prospects. The average brokerage price target of approximately $967.83 is well above the recent trading level, although targets are not guarantees. Caterpillar Rating Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Dealer technology partnership: IronSight AI and Fast Iron announced a platform that helps Caterpillar, Komatsu and Volvo equipment dealers identify and sell used parts using smartphone images. The development may improve dealer efficiency, but it is not expected to have a material near-term effect on Caterpillar’s financial results. IronSight AI and Fast Iron Partnership
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and trading risks: Caterpillar’s elevated valuation leaves the stock vulnerable to a pullback if earnings momentum slows. ETFs were also reported as net sellers, while commentary cautioned that analyst optimism may already be reflected in the share price. Caterpillar Stock Pullback Risk

Caterpillar Trading Up 2.1%

CAT opened at $740.20 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $340.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12 month low of $510.21 and a 12 month high of $1,073.46. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $805.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $856.93.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.22 by $1.95. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 55.53% and a net margin of 14.51%. The firm had revenue of $20.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.34 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.72 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 26th will be given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, October 26th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is 28.06%.

Caterpillar Company Profile

Caterpillar Inc is a manufacturer of construction, mining, and industrial equipment. Its product portfolio includes excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, motor graders, articulated trucks, and other machinery used in construction, infrastructure development, mining, quarrying, forestry, and related industries. The company also produces diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, generator sets, and other power-generation and transportation equipment.

Caterpillar operates through businesses focused on construction industries, resource industries, and energy and transportation.