Kestra Advisory Services LLC Purchases 4,183 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Kestra Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 212,347 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,183 shares during the quarter. Caterpillar makes up about 0.5% of Kestra Advisory Services LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Kestra Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $172,168,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAT. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. raised its stake in Caterpillar by 440.0% during the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. Matrix Trust Co boosted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 93.8% in the second quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 31 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 15 shares during the period. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the second quarter worth $36,000. PFS Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 1,750.0% during the third quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 37 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tacita Capital Inc purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at $47,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Stock Down 6.5%

Shares of CAT stock opened at $552.88 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $765.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $806.58. Caterpillar Inc. has a twelve month low of $537.08 and a twelve month high of $1,073.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 1.42. The company has a market capitalization of $254.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.69, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.65.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The industrial products company reported $7.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.95 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 17.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.62 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 26th will be paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 26th. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is presently 25.58%.

More Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar reported strong third-quarter results, with earnings above consensus, year-over-year growth, and a record $78.1 billion backlog. Surging demand for power-generation equipment is supporting capacity expansion, though production and cost pressures may limit the benefit. Article: CAT Shares Fall Despite Q3 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Director James Fish bought 1,000 shares for about $620,000, increasing his stake by nearly 27%. The purchase may signal confidence in the company. Article: Caterpillar director purchases shares
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar completed its acquisition of the Fabick Cat dealership. The deal expands its dealer operations in several Midwestern states, but the near-term financial effect is unclear. Article: Caterpillar completes Fabick Cat acquisition
• Negative Sentiment: The broader AI-trade selloff is weighing on industrial stocks, with investors treating Caterpillar as a beneficiary of data-center power investment and questioning whether that spending will continue. Reports tied the market reaction to expectations of less AI spending after Democrats won Congress; they noted no new company-specific catalyst. Article: Caterpillar caught up in AI trade selloff
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley cut its price target by 26%, citing a shift toward testing Caterpillar’s cyclical fundamentals. Reports also point to weaker orders, dealer inventory reductions, production constraints, tariffs and manufacturing costs—all risks to margins and backlog conversion. Article: Morgan Stanley cuts Caterpillar price target

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on CAT shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 31st. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $950.00 to $800.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on Caterpillar from $897.00 to $722.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 30th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,027.00 price objective (down from $1,100.00) on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $915.00 to $675.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 30th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $898.25.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director James C. Fish, Jr. bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $620.39 per share, for a total transaction of $620,390.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 4,714 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,924,518.46. The trade was a 26.93% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Joseph Creed sold 32,401 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total transaction of $26,211,760.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 34,555 shares in the company, valued at $27,954,303.90. This trade represents a 48.39% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Caterpillar 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.