Merit Financial Group LLC Purchases 2,714 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Merit Financial Group LLC raised its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 48,984 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,714 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $52,164,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Formidable Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 13.0% in the second quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC now owns 1,478 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,574,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Vaquero Private Wealth Ltd. acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the second quarter worth $5,207,000. Cypress Point Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar in the second quarter valued at $556,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in Caterpillar by 12.6% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 38,184 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,645,000 after buying an additional 4,280 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ballentine Partners LLC lifted its position in Caterpillar by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 9,435 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $10,048,000 after buying an additional 173 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CAT has been the subject of several analyst reports. HSBC raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price target on Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $915.00 price target on Caterpillar and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,118.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $995.52.

Caterpillar Trading Down 4.3%

Caterpillar stock opened at $843.54 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.37. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $913.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $830.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $387.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.30, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.60. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52 week low of $410.52 and a 52 week high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $1.95. The company had revenue of $20.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.34 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 55.53% and a net margin of 14.51%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.72 EPS. Analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 26.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. This is a positive change from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.06%.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted accelerating, volume-driven growth across Caterpillar’s three operating segments and a sharp upgrade to its 2026 sales outlook, supporting the longer-term bullish case. Caterpillar’s Volume Gains Drive Growth: Can Its Uptrend Continue?
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar was included among high-efficiency stocks with key operating ratios above industry averages, reinforcing the view that its strong earnings performance is supported by business quality. 5 Top-Ranked High-Efficiency Stocks Poised for Stronger Returns
• Positive Sentiment: The company committed up to $3 million in Arkansas as part of its five-year, $100 million workforce initiative. The investment should expand manufacturing talent pipelines, although the near-term earnings impact is likely limited. Caterpillar Expands Workforce Initiative to Arkansas

Caterpillar Company 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.