Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Stock Sold by Vestor Capital LLC

Vestor Capital LLC lessened its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 75.0% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 30,707 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 92,128 shares during the period. Caterpillar comprises about 0.7% of Vestor Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Vestor Capital LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $24,897,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth about $40,457,153,000. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,276,960 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,120,529,000 after acquiring an additional 1,396,356 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,818,150,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,192,710,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the second quarter worth approximately $2,783,451,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on CAT shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $1,155.00 to $840.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 26th. Robert W. Baird set a $970.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $1,100.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on Caterpillar from $950.00 to $800.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 30th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $898.25.

Insider Activity

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

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Anthropic took over an order for 1.7 gigawatts of Caterpillar gas generators originally placed by OnePWR. The deal highlights demand for power equipment from AI companies and could support Caterpillar’s generator business. Article: Caterpillar Stocks Jump 6.61% as Anthropic Takes Over $3.4 Billion Generator Order
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar and Phoenix Service Partners reported an ultra-low-methane emissions technology for large gas-compression systems. It may help customers meet environmental and permitting requirements, though the article does not quantify potential sales. Article: Why Is Caterpillar Pushing Ultra Low Methane Gas Compression?
• Neutral Sentiment: CAT’s rebound accompanied a strong Dow rally, suggesting broad-market strength contributed to the move. Technical analysis said the shares cleared several daily resistance levels but that the broader trend remained weak. Article: Dow’s nearly 700-point rally highlighted by gains for Amazon.com Inc., Caterpillar shares Article: Caterpillar stock support and resistance levels after 5.8% rebound
• Negative Sentiment: A recent report noted CAT had fallen about 10% in the prior week despite record quarterly sales and a $78 billion backlog, pointing to lingering concerns about the stock’s momentum. Article: Caterpillar Stock Sinks 10% in a Week Despite Record Backlog
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage of Michael Burry cashing in on Caterpillar put options after a reported fourfold gain highlights that bearish investors had profited from the stock’s recent weakness; it does not establish his current position. Article: Michael Burry Cashes In On Caterpillar Puts After 4X Gain

Caterpillar Stock Up 7.1%

Shares of CAT stock opened at $598.35 on Tuesday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12 month low of $537.08 and a 12 month high of $1,073.46. The stock has a market cap of $275.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $756.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $806.00.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The industrial products company reported $7.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.06 by $0.14. Caterpillar had a net margin of 15.21% and a return on equity of 59.87%. The business had revenue of $20.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.95 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Investors of record on Monday, October 26th will be given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 26th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is 25.58%.

Caterpillar Profile

Caterpillar Inc is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, engines, turbines, and related products and services. Its offerings include earthmoving and material-handling machines, diesel and natural gas engines, power-generation systems, and equipment and technologies used in mining and transportation. The company’s products are commonly sold under the Cat brand.

Caterpillar serves customers in markets around the world through a network of independent dealers. Its businesses also provide parts, maintenance, equipment rental, and other support services, as well as financing and insurance through its financial services operations.

The company was formed in 1925 through the merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company and the C.