Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Brokerages give Caterpillar an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from 24 analysts (16 buy / 7 hold / 1 sell) with an average 1‑year price target of $767.77, and several firms recently raised targets (Citigroup to $905, Jefferies to $900, Argus to $820, HSBC to $850).
• Caterpillar recently beat Q results (EPS $5.16 vs. $4.67 est., revenue $19.13B vs. $17.81B, revenue +17.9% YoY); shares trade around $818 with a market cap of $380.8B, P/E ~43.5, and a $1.51 quarterly dividend (annual $6.04, yield ~0.7%).

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-four brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have assigned a hold recommendation and sixteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $767.7727.

CAT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $425.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Argus raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $625.00 to $820.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $825.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. HSBC raised their price target on Caterpillar from $660.00 to $850.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on Caterpillar from $785.00 to $905.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of CAT stock opened at $818.45 on Wednesday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $743.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $652.29. The firm has a market cap of $380.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.49, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.52. Caterpillar has a 1 year low of $302.17 and a 1 year high of $845.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.44.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.67 by $0.49. The business had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 45.76%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $5.14 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Caterpillar will post 22.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.09%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $720.11, for a total value of $16,314,812.16. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares in the company, valued at $57,574,954.83. This trade represents a 22.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 2,500 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $718.93, for a total transaction of $1,797,325.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 35,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,222,221.19. This trade represents a 6.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 125,950 shares of company stock valued at $88,577,390. Insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Caterpillar

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Collaborative Fund Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Caterpillar in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $439,000. Nvest Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 17.1% in the 1st quarter. Nvest Financial LLC now owns 507 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $359,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Planning Center Inc. boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 22.3% in the 1st quarter. Planning Center Inc. now owns 1,618 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,146,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares in the last quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 6.3% in the 1st quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 3,672 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,601,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abel Hall LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 16.8% in the 1st quarter. Abel Hall LLC now owns 1,733 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,228,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on CAT to $960 (from $870) and boosted 2026–2028 EPS forecasts, citing contributions from the Solar Turbines project — a direct analyst upgrade that supports higher fair‑value expectations. Wells Fargo Lifts PT on Caterpillar
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research nudged several quarterly EPS estimates higher (small bumps to Q3/Q4 2026–27 and FY2028), signaling incremental analyst confidence in near‑to‑medium term earnings momentum. Zacks Research EPS revisions
• Positive Sentiment: Macro/structural upside: multiple pieces note rising power demand from data centers and continued strength in construction/mining end markets — themes that support longer‑term revenue and aftermarket parts growth. Caterpillar Positioned for Long-Term Growth
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile bullish commentary (eg. Jim Cramer) is pushing expectations for a strong Q1 print, which can amplify momentum if results beat. Jim Cramer: "I Actually Expect a Huge Number"
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre‑earnings previews from Zacks and Yahoo dig into key metrics beyond headline revenue/EPS, useful for parsing parts, backlog and margins but not headline movers on their own. Ahead of Caterpillar Q1 Earnings: Wall Street Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst writeups comparing cycle positions vs. peers (eg. Deere) highlight where CAT sits in its equipment cycle — important context for investors but not an immediate catalyst. Caterpillar and Deere Cycle Comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Balanced caution: preview articles note rising costs and CAT’s premium valuation — factors that make the near‑term risk/reward less clear and can prompt profit‑taking ahead of the Q1 print. Caterpillar Set to Report Q1 Earnings: Buy, Sell or Hold?

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.

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