Empowered Funds LLC Increases Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 54.6% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 75,281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 26,579 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $53,334,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of CAT. Cornerstone Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC now owns 1,818 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,288,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. Advisory Resource Group lifted its stake in Caterpillar by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Advisory Resource Group now owns 1,632 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $935,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Caterpillar by 1.1% in the first quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC now owns 1,164 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $825,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC now owns 506 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $358,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the period. Finally, Sylvest Advisors LLC boosted its position in Caterpillar by 3.6% during the first quarter. Sylvest Advisors LLC now owns 377 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $267,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Caterpillar from $1,050.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Bank of America raised their price target on Caterpillar from $930.00 to $989.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $1,165.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $980.57.

More Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar’s stock has approximately doubled over the past year. Investors have been encouraged by strong operating momentum and expectations that demand from data-center construction and related infrastructure spending could support future equipment sales. Caterpillar Stock Is Up 100% in a Year
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s most recent earnings report provided a fundamental backdrop for the rally: Caterpillar exceeded analysts’ quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, while revenue increased 22.2% year over year. This suggests strong demand and operating leverage, although investors may now require continued earnings growth to justify the elevated share price.
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar has become a highly watched or “trending” stock on Zacks, increasing visibility among investors. However, heightened attention can contribute to greater trading volatility and does not itself change the company’s earnings outlook. Caterpillar Is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank AG downgraded Caterpillar from “buy” to “hold.” The change likely reflects caution after the substantial run-up, with investors potentially reassessing risk-reward prospects at a historically high valuation. Finviz Caterpillar Listing
• Negative Sentiment: Investor Michael Burry’s reported short position in Caterpillar benefited during the July pullback, highlighting the presence of bearish positioning. The stock’s roughly 100% annual gain, elevated price-to-earnings ratio and recent decline make profit-taking and volatility risks more significant. Michael Burry’s Short Bets on Caterpillar

Caterpillar Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of CAT stock opened at $873.54 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.35. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $405.46 and a 52-week high of $1,073.46. The company has a market capitalization of $402.34 billion, a PE ratio of 43.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.57. The business’s fifty day moving average is $929.10 and its 200 day moving average is $807.20.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The business had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.25 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.45%.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $922.92, for a total transaction of $22,354,968.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 86,029 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $79,397,884.68. The trade was a 21.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total value of $11,444,205.55. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 49,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $45,236,615.75. The trade was a 20.19% 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 insiders.

About Caterpillar

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.