Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Barclays Analyst Says

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) had its target price raised by Barclays from $625.00 to $700.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the industrial products company’s stock. Barclays‘s price objective points to a potential downside of 4.32% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the company. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Caterpillar from $729.00 to $786.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. DA Davidson raised their price target on Caterpillar from $569.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Wolfe Research boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $470.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, HSBC lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $660.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $737.55.

Caterpillar Price Performance

Shares of Caterpillar stock traded up $23.15 on Tuesday, reaching $731.61. The stock had a trading volume of 719,299 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,837,342. The business’s 50 day moving average is $710.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $609.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. Caterpillar has a 1 year low of $267.30 and a 1 year high of $789.81. The company has a market cap of $340.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.53.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.67 by $0.49. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 45.76%. The business had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $5.14 EPS. Caterpillar’s revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Caterpillar will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In related news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $718.93, for a total value of $1,797,325.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 35,083 shares in the company, valued at $25,222,221.19. The trade was a 6.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $720.11, for a total value of $16,314,812.16. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $57,574,954.83. This represents a 22.08% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 125,950 shares of company stock worth $88,577,390 in the last quarter. 0.33% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Caterpillar

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its stake in Caterpillar by 7.3% in the third quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 17,262 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $8,237,000 after purchasing an additional 1,181 shares during the period. Groupe la Francaise boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 82.0% during the 2nd quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 27,246 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $10,820,000 after buying an additional 12,278 shares in the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 155.9% during the 3rd quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 47,231 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $21,014,000 after buying an additional 28,773 shares in the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 3rd quarter worth about $8,893,000. Finally, ZEGA Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 149.6% in the 3rd quarter. ZEGA Investments LLC now owns 4,184 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,996,000 after acquiring an additional 2,508 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar’s share gains helped drive large Dow rallies, reflecting broad risk-on sentiment that’s lifting industrial names as markets recover. NVIDIA Corp., Caterpillar share gains contribute to Dow’s nearly 800-point rally
• Positive Sentiment: Stocks including Caterpillar jumped after reports of easing Middle East tensions and stabilizing oil prices, a tailwind for industrial demand and equipment spending. Vertiv, Flowserve, EMCOR, Terex, and Caterpillar Shares Are Soaring, What You Need To Know
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and media are highlighting Caterpillar’s growing exposure to AI/data-center infrastructure (large natural-gas generator business), which supports a re-rating narrative beyond traditional construction equipment. Is Caterpillar (CAT) The Best Data Center Stock in Bill Gates’ Latest Portfolio?
• Neutral Sentiment: A 2025 U.S. corporate tax-law change will lower Caterpillar’s cash tax payments (accelerated deductions) but raise its reported book tax rate — boosting near-term free cash flow while making year-to-year EPS comparisons and tax-rate optics more complex. This affects valuation modelling and financial planning. Caterpillar Tax Shift Boosts Cash While Clouding Earnings Picture For Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Caterpillar experienced sharp intraday weakness recently (a ~4% drop noted on March 30), highlighting volatility tied to geopolitical headlines and macro swings — a risk for short-term holders. Caterpillar (CAT) Registers a Bigger Fall Than the Market: Important Facts to Note
• Negative Sentiment: Earlier volatility came as markets reacted to sharper geopolitical threats (threats to Iran’s energy infrastructure), which can quickly reverse risk appetite and weigh on industrial cyclicals like CAT. Caterpillar, Thermon, Enpro, Methode Electronics, and Mobileye Shares Plummet, What You Need To Know

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.