Ascentis Independent Advisors Raises Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Ascentis Independent Advisors increased its Caterpillar stake by 78.1% in the first quarter, buying 3,531 additional shares to bring its total holdings to 8,054 shares worth about $5.7 million.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on Caterpillar, with analysts maintaining a Moderate Buy consensus and a target price of about $949.41, while several firms recently raised their price targets.
• Caterpillar reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $5.54 and revenue of $17.41 billion, both ahead of estimates, and it also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.63 per share.

Ascentis Independent Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 78.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,054 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,531 shares during the period. Ascentis Independent Advisors' holdings in Caterpillar were worth $5,706,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Advisory Resource Group lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Advisory Resource Group now owns 1,632 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $935,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the period. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 1.1% in the first quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC now owns 1,164 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $825,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in Caterpillar by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC now owns 506 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $358,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Sylvest Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Sylvest Advisors LLC now owns 377 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $267,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invst LLC raised its position in Caterpillar by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Invst LLC now owns 753 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $431,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CAT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. DA Davidson upped their target price on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $900.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group lifted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $949.41.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 360 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $906.00, for a total value of $326,160.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 530 shares in the company, valued at approximately $480,180. This trade represents a 40.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total transaction of $11,444,205.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 49,825 shares of the company's stock, valued at $45,236,615.75. This trade represents a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635 over the last quarter. 0.33% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of CAT stock opened at $965.44 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $444.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.06, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.57. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $388.09 and a one year high of $1,073.46. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $918.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $770.29. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The firm had revenue of $17.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.25 earnings per share. Caterpillar's revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Caterpillar's previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.06%.

More Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target on Caterpillar to $1,218 from $1,043 and kept a buy rating, reinforcing bullish sentiment around the stock’s earnings and growth outlook. Article Link
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports highlighted Caterpillar as a momentum, long-term, and “trending” stock, suggesting investor interest remains strong and could help keep shares elevated. Article Link
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators pointed to Caterpillar’s role in powering data centers and other AI-related infrastructure, a theme that has helped explain the stock’s strong run. Article Link
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar also received fresh praise for strong backlog, earnings growth, and long-term expansion plans, which supports the case for continued upside. Article Link
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar announced a $5 million investment in Texas workforce training and manufacturing education, a positive long-term initiative but not likely a major near-term stock driver. Article Link
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street analyst coverage remains broadly optimistic, with multiple articles noting favorable average brokerage recommendations, though these do not always translate into reliable signals. Article Link
• Negative Sentiment: Michael Burry disclosed a first-ever short position in Caterpillar, arguing the stock’s AI-linked rally may have stretched valuation too far; that news is likely the main source of pressure on shares today. Article Link

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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