Verus Capital Partners LLC Reduces Stock Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Verus Capital Partners LLC cut its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 24.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,693 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 856 shares during the period. Verus Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $1,908,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. BankChampaign National Association acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the first quarter worth about $1,638,000. Groupe la Francaise increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 66.7% in the 1st quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 54,220 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $38,273,000 after buying an additional 21,685 shares during the period. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP purchased a new position in Caterpillar during the 1st quarter worth approximately $17,944,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. raised its position in Caterpillar by 11.6% during the 1st quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 913 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $647,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Caterpillar by 66.1% during the 1st quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,366 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $5,218,000 after acquiring an additional 2,931 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total transaction of $14,399,860.54. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,935 shares in the company, valued at $48,631,913.85. This trade represents a 22.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were 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 directly owned 86,029 shares in the company, valued at $79,397,884.68. This represents a 21.97% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Caterpillar Trading Up 0.8%

CAT stock opened at $815.73 on Friday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $405.46 and a 52-week high of $1,073.46. 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 $375.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.60, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.57. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $924.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $811.52.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. The firm had revenue of $17.41 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.25 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This is an increase from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is 32.45%.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Caterpillar to report year-over-year growth in both earnings and revenue for the quarter ending June 2026. Results are scheduled for August 4 before the market opens, creating a potential catalyst for a rebound if the company exceeds expectations or raises its outlook. Caterpillar is Set to Report Q2 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and long-term investors view the recent selloff as an attractive entry point before earnings, citing Caterpillar’s industrial exposure and potential infrastructure and power-grid demand. Here’s Why Caterpillar Is a Buy Before Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar plans to invest up to $10 million in Illinois operations to develop manufacturing talent and strengthen its future workforce. The move supports long-term production capacity and workforce development, although it is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Caterpillar invests to develop manufacturing talent in Illinois
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings estimates point to year-over-year improvement, but investors are also watching operating metrics such as order trends, margins, construction activity and management’s guidance for the rest of 2026. Unlocking Q2 Potential of Caterpillar
• Negative Sentiment: Robert W. Baird downgraded Caterpillar from “outperform” to “neutral” and cut its price target to $900 from $1,200. The firm cited growing backlash and uncertainty surrounding data-center construction, which could weaken a major source of expected equipment demand. Baird Just Downgraded Caterpillar Stock
• Negative Sentiment: The stock has declined for six consecutive weeks from its 2026 high, reflecting reduced confidence in growth expectations and heightened sensitivity to the upcoming earnings report. Caterpillar stock has slumped

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on CAT shares. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. HSBC upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Bank of America increased their price target on Caterpillar from $930.00 to $989.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,103.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Caterpillar has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $966.29.

Caterpillar 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.