Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Insider Sells $11,328,867.90 in Stock

Key Points

• Bob De Lange sold 16,070 shares on Feb 4 at an average $704.97 for $11.33M (after selling 15,977 shares on Feb 2), trimming his stake by 16.74% to 79,953 shares; his sale is one of several multi‑million insider disposals this week that could create short‑term selling pressure.
• Caterpillar beat Q4 expectations with EPS $5.16 vs $4.67 and revenue $19.13B vs $17.81B, and management cites a roughly $51B backlog plus data‑center demand in Power & Energy that supports near‑term revenue visibility.
• Wall Street sentiment is generally positive (consensus "Moderate Buy", target ≈ $681.86) even as the stock trades near its 52‑week high with a P/E around 36 and a modest dividend yield of 0.9%.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) insider Lange Bob De sold 16,070 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $704.97, for a total value of $11,328,867.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $56,364,466.41. This trade represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Lange Bob De also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, February 2nd, Lange Bob De sold 15,977 shares of Caterpillar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $682.99, for a total value of $10,912,131.23.

Caterpillar Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CAT traded down $15.00 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $676.82. 1,878,620 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,808,411. The company has a market capitalization of $316.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.58. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $612.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $525.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $267.30 and a 52-week high of $723.16.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.67 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $5.14 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.09%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CAT has been the subject of several research reports. Raymond James Financial reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Robert W. Baird set a $805.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $729.00 to $786.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. HSBC raised shares of Caterpillar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $405.00 to $660.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $681.86.

Institutional Trading of Caterpillar

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAT. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,165,899,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $2,494,568,000 after acquiring an additional 5,098,964 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its position in shares of Caterpillar by 1,851.8% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,830,414 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $873,382,000 after buying an additional 1,736,631 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,281,087 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in Caterpillar by 425.2% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 761,800 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $295,738,000 after purchasing an additional 616,739 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and data‑center tailwind — CAT reported revenue and EPS above estimates, with Power & Energy sales rising sharply as data‑center buildouts boosted demand for turbines and backup power; this underpins near‑term revenue visibility. Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — Multiple firms raised targets or reiterated buys (examples include Rothschild & Co Redburn’s PT bump and several banks lifting targets), providing fresh upside catalysts and support for investor sentiment. Rothschild PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog and capex to convert demand into revenue — Management cites a roughly $51B backlog and plans ~25% higher 2026 capex to expand capacity, supporting the company’s 5–7% annual sales target through 2030. Backlog & Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic tech engagement — Caterpillar awarded a multi‑year digital modernization engagement to ACI; useful for operations but unlikely to move near‑term revenue materially. ACI Partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate — Coverage highlights strong business momentum but questions whether recent share gains already price in the data‑center and backlog story, framing balanced upside/downside. Valuation Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling — Several senior insiders disclosed multi‑million‑dollar sales this week (e.g., Denise C. Johnson, Anthony Fassino, Bob De Lange), trimming holdings materially; while often routine, the size and timing can prompt short‑term selling pressure. Insider Sale Filing

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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