Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Insider Sells $4,982,055.26 in Stock

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) insider Jason Kaiser sold 5,642 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $883.03, for a total value of $4,982,055.26. Following the sale, the insider owned 9,594 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,471,789.82. This trade represents a 37.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

NYSE:CAT traded up $29.82 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $904.60. 2,575,668 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,715,033. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $749.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $659.59. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $318.11 and a one year high of $908.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The firm has a market cap of $420.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.63.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. The business had revenue of $17.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.Caterpillar’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.25 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 23.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.06%.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings and outlook: CAT posted a sizable Q1 beat, with revenue and EPS above estimates and rising backlog, which underpins management’s constructive outlook and is a primary driver of investor enthusiasm. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Caterpillar Stock Post Q1 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/price target lift: Argus raised its price target to $990 and maintained a buy rating, providing fresh analyst support that helps justify higher multiples. Argus adjusts price target on Caterpillar to $990
• Positive Sentiment: AI / data?center narrative: Multiple outlets are framing Caterpillar as an AI?infrastructure beneficiary (power, generators, hyperscale demand), which has re-rated the stock and attracted momentum buying. This thematic shift is amplifying gains beyond cyclical construction/mining drivers. Industrial-Strength Rally: Why Caterpillar Is Up 53%…
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate wins / tech sales: Carmeuse selected Caterpillar’s autonomous hauling solution (adoption of CAT autonomy in mining/quarrying) and Cat’s electric power products are gaining spotlight—both support incremental revenue and product diversification. Carmeuse selects Caterpillar’s autonomous hauling solution
• Positive Sentiment: Director buy: Director David Maclennan purchased 250 shares, a modest insider buy that provides a supportive signal to investors. SEC filing: Director purchase
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst posture: DA Davidson raised its price target but maintained a neutral rating, suggesting some analysts see limited near?term upside from current levels. DA Davidson adjusts price target on Caterpillar to $845
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and media attention: Rising options activity and extensive media coverage (trending pieces, Zacks features) are increasing short?term volatility and attention but don’t change fundamentals by themselves. Do Options Traders Know Something About Caterpillar Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: An insider (Jason Kaiser) sold 5,642 shares for roughly $5M, trimming his position by ~37%, which some investors may view as a cautionary signal despite other positive indicators. SEC filing: Insider sale

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CAT. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its holdings 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 valued at $8,237,000 after acquiring an additional 1,181 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the third quarter worth $8,893,000. ZEGA Investments LLC lifted its stake in Caterpillar by 149.6% during the third quarter. ZEGA Investments LLC now owns 4,184 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,996,000 after purchasing an additional 2,508 shares in the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D lifted its stake in Caterpillar by 2.5% during the third quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 165,677 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $79,053,000 after purchasing an additional 4,010 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Juno Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth $877,000. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CAT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Truist Financial set a $1,043.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Friday. Williams Trading set a $825.00 price target on Caterpillar in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group lifted their price target on Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $878.91.

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.