Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Insider Sells $11,444,205.55 in Stock

Key Points

• Caterpillar insider Denise Johnson sold 12,605 shares on May 14 for about $11.44 million, trimming her direct stake by roughly 20%. The sale was disclosed in an SEC filing.
• CAT shares were under pressure, falling 3.4% and trading at $888.90, though the company still remains near its 52-week high of $931.35. Trading volume also came in above its recent average.
• The company’s fundamentals and outlook remain strong: Caterpillar recently beat earnings and revenue estimates, and analysts have a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a price target of $923.14. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.51 per share.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) insider Denise Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total value of $11,444,205.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 49,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,236,615.75. This trade represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Caterpillar Stock Down 3.4%

NYSE CAT traded down $31.32 on Friday, reaching $888.90. 2,905,888 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,697,849. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12 month low of $336.24 and a 12 month high of $931.35. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $775.21 and a 200-day moving average price of $680.05. The company has a market cap of $409.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.25, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.35.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The company had revenue of $17.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.25 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CAT has been the topic of several research reports. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Caterpillar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley set a $915.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $905.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $923.14.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted its price target on Caterpillar to $950 from $700, signaling continued upside potential despite keeping a neutral rating. Rothschild & Co Redburn adjusts price target on Caterpillar to $950 from $700, maintains neutral rating
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer called Caterpillar “a buy,” citing oil and gas exposure, infrastructure spending, and AI data-center power demand as potential tailwinds. Jim Cramer Says Caterpillar Is a Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar said it is hiring 600 workers at its Sanford, North Carolina plant to support compact track loader production, suggesting strong demand and added manufacturing activity. Caterpillar hiring 600 jobs at Sanford plant
• Positive Sentiment: Industry research on Saudi Arabia’s construction equipment market pointed to Caterpillar as a key player in a market expected to grow steadily through 2030, supported by large infrastructure projects. Saudi Arabia Construction Equipment Industry Research 2026-2031 Featuring Caterpillar

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Caterpillar

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CAT. Pacific Point Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter valued at $579,000. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Caterpillar by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 7,409 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,688,000 after acquiring an additional 2,519 shares during the last quarter. United Bank raised its stake in Caterpillar by 108.5% in the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 4,083 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,125 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in Caterpillar by 3.9% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,147 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,551,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in Caterpillar by 6.5% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 572,165 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $222,120,000 after acquiring an additional 34,846 shares during the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Caterpillar

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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