Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Given New $432.00 Price Target at Sanford C. Bernstein

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) had its price target upped by stock analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from $304.00 to $432.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,BayStreet.CA reports. Sanford C. Bernstein's target price points to a potential upside of 6.60% from the stock's previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Baird R W upgraded Caterpillar from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. DA Davidson raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $325.00 to $331.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Melius Research upgraded Caterpillar from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $500.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Caterpillar from $395.00 to $475.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their target price on Caterpillar from $375.00 to $373.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $406.47.

Caterpillar Price Performance

CAT stock traded down $0.66 on Monday, reaching $405.26. The company had a trading volume of 1,366,580 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,526,060. Caterpillar has a 1 year low of $267.30 and a 1 year high of $418.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.32. The company's fifty day moving average is $360.79 and its 200 day moving average is $347.92. The company has a market cap of $190.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.74, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.38.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $4.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.35 by ($0.10). Caterpillar had a return on equity of 53.77% and a net margin of 15.71%. The firm had revenue of $14.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.60 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Caterpillar will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other news, Director David Maclennan bought 375 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $320.70 per share, with a total value of $120,262.50. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 6,653 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,133,617.10. This trade represents a 5.97% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC purchased a new stake in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Compass Financial Services Inc lifted its position in Caterpillar by 49.2% during the first quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc now owns 94 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the period. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Investment Management Corp VA ADV bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Caterpillar Company Profile

Caterpillar Inc manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives in worldwide. Its Construction Industries segment offers asphalt pavers, compactors, road reclaimers, forestry machines, cold planers, material handlers, track-type tractors, excavators, telehandlers, motor graders, and pipelayers; compact track, wheel, track-type, backhoe, and skid steer loaders; and related parts and tools.

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