United Bank Takes Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

United Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 4,949 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,270,000. Caterpillar makes up 1.6% of United Bank’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of CAT. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 440.0% during the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Matrix Trust Co raised its position in Caterpillar by 93.8% in the 2nd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 31 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Caterpillar Price Performance

Caterpillar stock opened at $778.59 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 1.37 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The stock has a market cap of $357.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.60. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $885.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $838.23. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1 year low of $410.52 and a 1 year high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.22 by $1.95. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.51% and a return on equity of 55.53%. The business had revenue of $20.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.34 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.72 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 23.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 20th. This is an increase from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.06%.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings expectations: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS forecast for Caterpillar to $27.50 from $24.78, above the current analyst consensus of $27.14. The firm maintains a “Hold” rating, so the estimate increase is positive but not a strong bullish endorsement. Erste Group Bank Predicts Stronger Earnings for Caterpillar
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable: Caterpillar has received a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, while a separate analysis highlighted the stock as a potential beneficiary of improving industrial activity. However, brokerage recommendations can be overly optimistic and may have limited immediate impact. Caterpillar Receives Consensus Rating of Moderate Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Improving durable-goods demand: July durable-goods orders increased 1.1%, supporting the view that a manufacturing recovery could benefit Caterpillar’s equipment demand and broader industrial stocks. 4 Industrial Stocks to Grab on Robust Jump in Durable Goods Orders
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are watching the pullback: Commentary focused on Caterpillar’s recent decline, suggesting the stock’s technical performance and elevated valuation remain important considerations even after strong quarterly earnings. Why We’re Watching the Caterpillar Stock Pullback
• Negative Sentiment: Market-wide pressure: Caterpillar was among the stocks weighing on the Dow as investors reduced exposure to major companies, indicating that broader market sentiment—not just company-specific fundamentals—is contributing to the weakness. NVIDIA Corp., Caterpillar Share Losses Lead Dow’s Fall
• Negative Sentiment: CEO insider selling: CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares for approximately $26.2 million, reducing his position by 48.39%. The sale may concern investors, although insider transactions can reflect personal financial planning rather than a change in the company’s outlook. SEC Insider Transaction Filing

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CAT has been the subject of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,118.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $950.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Argus increased their price target on Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $800.00 to $900.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $1,002.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $995.52.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Caterpillar news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total transaction of $26,211,760.98. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,555 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,954,303.90. The trade was a 48.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.