Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) CFO Andrew Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total value of $14,399,860.54. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 52,935 shares in the company, valued at $48,631,913.85. This represents a 22.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.
Caterpillar Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:CAT traded down $30.90 on Thursday, hitting $896.03. The company had a trading volume of 2,950,076 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,721,189. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $322.90 and a 52-week high of $931.35. The business has a 50 day moving average of $753.19 and a 200 day moving average of $662.31. The company has a market cap of $412.70 billion, a PE ratio of 44.60, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.63.
Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The business had revenue of $17.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.25 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 23.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Caterpillar Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Investors of record on Monday, April 20th will be given a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio is 30.06%.
Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar
Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and revenue strength — Caterpillar posted stronger‑than‑expected Q1 results, including a ~38% increase in construction equipment revenue, supporting demand/backlog visibility and near‑term earnings upside. Caterpillar Reports 38% Boost to Construction Equipment Revenue for Q1 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increases — Several firms raised price targets (Argus to $990; HSBC to $1,100), providing fresh buy‑side ammunition and validating upside to current levels. Argus Raises Caterpillar NYSE: CAT Price Target to $990.00 HSBC Raises Caterpillar Price Target to $1,100
- Positive Sentiment: AI / data‑center power theme — Coverage framing CAT as a beneficiary of AI/data‑center buildouts (generators, electrification, site power) is attracting thematic and momentum flows beyond traditional construction demand. Industrial-Strength Rally: Why Caterpillar Is Up 53%...
- Positive Sentiment: Order visibility / longer lead times — Supplier and peer reports (Archrock) point to stretched lead times, implying sustained demand and pricing power ahead. Archrock reaffirms outlook as Caterpillar lead times near 160
- Positive Sentiment: Commercial traction & tech wins — New deployments of CAT autonomy and power solutions (e.g., Carmeuse) support product diversification and aftermarket/technology revenue potential. Carmeuse selects Caterpillar’s autonomous hauling solution
- Positive Sentiment: Insider support — A board director made a modest buy, which is a constructive signal amid heavy retail/institutional interest. SEC filing: Director purchase
- Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst posture — Some shops raised targets but left neutral/hold ratings, indicating debate over how much further multiple expansion can run from here. DA Davidson Raises Caterpillar (CAT) Target Following Better-Than-Expected Quarter
- Neutral Sentiment: Elevated attention & options activity — Heavy media coverage and options flows are amplifying short‑term volatility but aren’t a substitute for fundamentals. Do Options Traders Know Something About Caterpillar Stock?
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — Two insiders disclosed sizeable sales (one trimmed ~37%; another sold >5,600 shares), a profit‑taking signal that can weigh on sentiment despite the strong operational story. SEC filing: Insider sale SEC filing: Insider sale (Shurman)
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAT. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Caterpillar by 3,949.8% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,228,058 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,494,568,000 after acquiring an additional 5,098,964 shares during the last quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Caterpillar by 68,427.2% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,140,603 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,224,992,000 after acquiring an additional 3,136,020 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth about $1,225,317,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in Caterpillar by 1,851.8% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,830,414 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $873,382,000 after acquiring an additional 1,736,631 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 573.1% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,504,612 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $861,947,000 after buying an additional 1,281,087 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several equities analysts recently weighed in on CAT shares. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Caterpillar from $940.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. DA Davidson increased their target price on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday. Oppenheimer set a $980.00 target price on Caterpillar and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Daiwa Securities Group increased their target price on Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Williams Trading set a $825.00 target price on Caterpillar in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $890.27.
View Our Latest Report on Caterpillar
Caterpillar Company Profile
(
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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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