AE Wealth Management LLC Boosts Stock Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• AE Wealth Management LLC increased its stake by 6.4% in Caterpillar to 24,514 shares (bought 1,479 shares in Q4), valued at about $14.04 million.
• Caterpillar beat Q4 estimates with EPS of $5.16 vs. $4.67 and revenue of $19.13 billion (up 17.9% year‑over‑year), alongside strong profitability metrics (ROE 45.76%, net margin 13.14%).
• Analysts have been raising targets (average target ~$751.45) and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.51 (annualized $6.04), but insiders have sold roughly 125,950 shares in the last 90 days, highlighting potential valuation or execution risks.

AE Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 6.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,514 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 1,479 shares during the period. AE Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $14,044,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CAT. Pacific Point Advisors LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth approximately $579,000. Brighton Jones LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 2,519 shares during the period. United Bank boosted 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 purchasing an additional 2,125 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted 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 purchasing an additional 347 shares during the period. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted 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 purchasing an additional 34,846 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of Caterpillar stock opened at $794.75 on Friday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52 week low of $282.46 and a 52 week high of $801.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The stock's fifty day moving average is $735.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $634.21. The company has a market capitalization of $369.79 billion, a PE ratio of 42.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.52.

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

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be given a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio is presently 32.09%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CAT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price target on Caterpillar from $640.00 to $790.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Raymond James Financial restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Truist Financial increased their target price on Caterpillar from $729.00 to $786.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. HSBC raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $660.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Argus boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $625.00 to $820.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $751.45.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other news, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 2,278 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $759.61, for a total transaction of $1,730,391.58. Following the transaction, the insider owned 1,443 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,096,117.23. This represents a 61.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 39,138 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $681.08, for a total value of $26,656,109.04. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 43,350 shares in the company, valued at $29,524,818. The trade was a 47.45% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 125,950 shares of company stock worth $88,577,390. Insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target lift — an outlet reported a new $832 price target for CAT, which likely helped push optimism among investors. Caterpillar NYSE: CAT Price Target Raised to $832.00
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish research/narrative upgrade — several analyst and media pieces argue CAT’s mix of digital initiatives, buybacks/dividends and a strong cycle could push the stock much higher over time. This lifts investor expectations for upside. Caterpillar Continues to Crush the Magnificent 7 — Here’s How It Gets to $1,000
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic tech acquisition — Caterpillar acquired Monarch (an electric/autonomous tractor startup), signaling a push into robotics/automation that investors view as a long-term growth/differentiation play. Caterpillar acquires self-driving 'Tesla of agriculture,' stock up 30% this year
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and income appeal — CAT is showing up on lists of strong-performing dividend stocks, which can widen its investor base among income-focused and dividend-growth buyers. These Red Hot AI Infrastructure Stocks Keep Paying Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings catalyst ahead — Caterpillar will report Q1 results on April 30; the release is a near-term event that could validate or reverse current sentiment. Caterpillar Inc. to Announce First-Quarter 2026 Financial Results on April 30
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/ETF flow support — commentary on Dow ETF (DIA) and blue‑chip rotation suggests index/ETF flows are supporting demand for CAT as a large-cap industrial. A Diamond Quality Entry in DIA ETF, or Is It Time to Get Out? (CAT)
• Negative Sentiment: Acquisition execution risk — reporting shows Monarch struggled (dealer/farmer complaints, co‑founder disputes and shutdown) before the sale, raising integration and technology-risk questions for investors. Monarch Tractor’s collapse ends with an acquisition by Caterpillar
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and cyclicality concerns — some analysts still flag CAT’s premium valuation and exposure to the construction/equipment cycle as risks that could cap gains if demand cools. Why The Caterpillar (CAT) Narrative Is Shifting As Price Targets Rise And Cycle Risks Stay In Focus

Caterpillar 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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