Welch Group LLC Sells 1,519 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Welch Group LLC cut its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 3.7% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 39,108 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,519 shares during the quarter. Welch Group LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $27,707,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Sequent Planning LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the 1st quarter worth approximately $202,000. Wealth Effects LLC lifted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 12.0% in the first quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 3,398 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,407,000 after purchasing an additional 365 shares in the last quarter. Piedmont Capital Management LLC NC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 16.8% during the first quarter. Piedmont Capital Management LLC NC now owns 453 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $321,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Unique Wealth LLC grew its position in Caterpillar by 6.5% in the first quarter. Unique Wealth LLC now owns 635 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $450,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tumwater Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Caterpillar by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Tumwater Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,415 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,003,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target on Caterpillar to $1,200 from $1,165 and reiterated an outperform rating, signaling continued upside confidence. MarketScreener
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar’s earnings backdrop remains strong: the company recently beat estimates with higher-than-expected revenue and EPS, supported by robust demand and a record backlog theme that has helped the stock outperform this year.
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar Foundation announced a $2.5 million initiative tied to America’s 250th anniversary, which is positive for corporate image but likely limited direct impact on shares. Caterpillar Foundation Announces $2.5 Million Initiative in Celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary
• Negative Sentiment: Investor sentiment is being weighed down by margin pressure: a Zacks note said Q1 2026 operating margin slipped to 18% as tariff-related costs rose, and management expects $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion of tariff impact for 2026. Caterpillar’s Operating Margins Remain Under Pressure: Rebound Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Broad market coverage said Caterpillar was one of the main drags on the Dow in Friday trading, suggesting weakness in the stock was large enough to influence the index. Nasdaq Rises. Caterpillar and Goldman Are Dragging on the Dow.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent economic data showed advance trade in goods falling in May, which can be read as a softer trade backdrop for industrial-demand names like Caterpillar. Advance Trade in Goods fall in May

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. DA Davidson increased their price target on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Bank of America raised their price target on Caterpillar from $930.00 to $989.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $769.00 to $879.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $941.45.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In related news, insider Jason Kaiser sold 5,642 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $8,471,789.82. This represents a 37.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.80, for a total transaction of $14,928,254.40. Following the sale, the insider owned 46,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,210,388.80. This represents a 26.13% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635 in the last three months. 0.33% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Caterpillar Stock Down 5.7%

Caterpillar stock opened at $996.73 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The company’s 50-day moving average is $897.41 and its 200-day moving average is $755.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $459.08 billion, a PE ratio of 49.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.59. Caterpillar Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $382.75 and a fifty-two week high of $1,057.07.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its 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 $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.53 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. Caterpillar’s revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.25 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.06%.

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.