Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. Sells 1,451 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Ameritas Investment Partners cut its Caterpillar stake by 14.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 1,451 shares and ending with 8,871 shares worth about $5.08 million.
• Caterpillar reported strong fundamentals, topping Q1 earnings and revenue estimates with EPS of $5.54 and revenue of $17.42 billion, while sales rose 22.2% year over year.
• Analysts and management remain upbeat: the company raised its quarterly dividend 8%, several firms lifted price targets, and consensus coverage sits at a Moderate Buy with an average target of $933.27.

Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. decreased its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 14.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,871 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,451 shares during the period. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc.'s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $5,082,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Townsquare Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 2,790 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,598,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Wellspring Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 330.9% in the fourth quarter. Wellspring Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,409 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,381,000 after acquiring an additional 1,850 shares during the last quarter. Myriad Asset Management Advisors LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at about $3,404,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 33.0% in the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 2,902 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,662,000 after acquiring an additional 720 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 44.9% in the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 25,013 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $14,329,000 after acquiring an additional 7,751 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar’s board approved an 8% dividend increase to $1.63 per share, reinforcing management’s confidence in cash flow and its commitment to returning capital to shareholders. Caterpillar Inc. Increases Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles highlighted Caterpillar as a momentum and growth stock to watch, with Zacks upgrading it to “strong-buy” and noting earnings growth, price strength, and continued interest tied to AI data center infrastructure demand. Earnings Growth & Price Strength Make Caterpillar (CAT) a Stock to Watch
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage also pointed to strong Q1 2026 volume growth, with total sales up 22% and demand improving across Construction and Power & Energy, supporting the bull case for continued earnings momentum. CAT Volumes Gain Strength Across Segments in Q126: More Upside Ahead?
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical and market commentary said CAT remains above its 50-day moving average and is still near key levels after a powerful multi-month rally, suggesting the stock may be consolidating rather than breaking down on company-specific news. Caterpillar Holds Key Level After Plowing Into Data Center Market
• Negative Sentiment: One note said Caterpillar has surged sharply over the past year and may be stretched on valuation, raising the risk of near-term pullbacks if investors lock in gains. Is It Too Late To Consider Caterpillar (CAT) After Its 158% One-Year Surge?
• Negative Sentiment: The biggest near-term headwind is the broad market move: CAT was one of the Dow’s weak spots during a major selloff, which likely amplified today’s decline despite otherwise favorable company-specific news. Dow's 663-point drop led by losses for shares of Caterpillar, Honeywell

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In related news, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total value of $14,399,860.54. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 52,935 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $48,631,913.85. This trade represents a 22.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $922.92, for a total value of $22,354,968.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 86,029 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,397,884.68. This represents a 21.97% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on CAT. Wall Street Zen upgraded Caterpillar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Argus raised their price target on Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. HSBC raised their price target on Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wolfe Research raised their target price on Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on Caterpillar from $905.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $933.27.

Caterpillar Trading Down 6.3%

NYSE CAT opened at $856.74 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $394.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock's 50-day moving average is $844.44 and its 200-day moving average is $722.90. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $355.70 and a one year high of $946.83.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. The company had revenue of $17.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.Caterpillar's revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.25 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th were given a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, April 20th. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.06%.

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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