1,975 Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Shares Purchased by Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors P.L.L.C.

Key Points

• Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors nearly doubled its Caterpillar stake in the third quarter, purchasing 1,975 additional shares for a total of 3,993 shares valued at approximately $3.24 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 70.98% of CAT.
• Caterpillar reported quarterly EPS of $7.20, beating estimates of $7.06, while revenue rose 17.3% year over year to $20.68 billion. Power-generation demand and a record $78.1 billion backlog supported results, though revenue slightly missed expectations and management maintained its existing growth outlook.
• Analyst sentiment remains a “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus price target of $913.96, but several firms recently cut their targets amid valuation and near-term growth concerns. CAT shares opened at $622.73, and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.63 per share, yielding about 1.0%.

Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors P.L.L.C. grew its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 97.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,993 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,975 shares during the quarter. Caterpillar comprises approximately 0.5% of Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors P.L.L.C.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors P.L.L.C.'s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $3,237,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth about $5,372,000. D.B. Root & Company LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at about $850,000. Dearborn Partners LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at about $20,293,000. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG now owns 62,731 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $66,802,000 after purchasing an additional 2,590 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 85.3% during the 2nd quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC now owns 2,809 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,991,000 after purchasing an additional 1,293 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on CAT shares. Freedom Broker raised Caterpillar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $980.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. UBS Group cut their target price on Caterpillar from $925.00 to $750.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 26th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Caterpillar from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Caterpillar from $915.00 to $675.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price target on Caterpillar from $845.00 to $882.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $913.96.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of Caterpillar stock opened at $622.73 on Friday. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $783.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $807.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12 month low of $537.08 and a 12 month high of $1,073.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $286.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.58.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The industrial products company reported $7.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $7.06 by $0.14. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 59.87% and a net margin of 15.21%. The firm had revenue of $20.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.95 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 17.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.75 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 26th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 26th. Caterpillar's payout ratio is presently 25.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In related news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total value of $26,211,760.98. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,555 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $27,954,303.90. The trade was a 48.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar reported third-quarter sales and revenues of approximately $20.7 billion, up 17% year over year, while adjusted earnings per share of $7.20 exceeded the $7.06 consensus estimate. Power-generation sales increased 30%, helped by data-center demand, and the company reported a record $78.1 billion backlog. Caterpillar Reports Third-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial reaffirmed its “buy” rating, while Citigroup maintained a “buy” rating despite lowering its price target to $800. Both targets remain above the current trading level, suggesting some analysts see substantial long-term upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America said Caterpillar’s earnings power remains intact, and analysts expect revenue and EPS growth as the backlog converts. However, the backlog may extend into 2029–2030, meaning investors could wait longer for the full financial benefit.
• Negative Sentiment: Management left its annual growth outlook unchanged and indicated only “moderate” fourth-quarter revenue growth. Investors had expected a stronger forecast or an upgrade, so the unchanged guidance overshadowed the earnings beat. Caterpillar Tops Quarterly Profit View
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue came in slightly below consensus, while tariff expenses and rising inventories added to concerns about costs, demand timing and near-term margins.
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms reduced their targets: Morgan Stanley cut its target to $675 and rated CAT “equal weight,” RBC lowered its target to $722 with a “sector perform” rating, and Truist reduced its target to $1,027. These cuts reinforce concerns that the stock’s premium valuation had become difficult to justify without faster growth.

Caterpillar Company Profile

Caterpillar Inc is a manufacturer of construction, mining, and industrial equipment. Its product portfolio includes excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, motor graders, articulated trucks, and other machinery used in construction, infrastructure development, mining, quarrying, forestry, and related industries. The company also produces diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, generator sets, and other power-generation and transportation equipment.

Caterpillar operates through businesses focused on construction industries, resource industries, and energy and transportation.

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