Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-four brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $730.50.

CAT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $760.00 to $785.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Friday, February 6th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th.

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 10,671 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $680.45, for a total value of $7,261,081.95. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 41,151 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,001,197.95. This trade represents a 20.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of the firm’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 owned 79,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $57,574,954.83. This represents a 22.08% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 135,950 shares of company stock worth $94,327,990. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Caterpillar by 1,060.0% during the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 58 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 220.0% during the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE:CAT opened at $700.09 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.44. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $695.58 and its 200-day moving average is $587.94. The company has a market cap of $325.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.53. Caterpillar has a 52-week low of $267.30 and a 52-week high of $789.81.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.14 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Caterpillar will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current year.

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.