Ashton Thomas Securities LLC Purchases 1,411 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Ashton Thomas Securities LLC raised its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 217.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,060 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,411 shares during the quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $1,459,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of CAT. Cornerstone Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Caterpillar by 0.7% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC now owns 1,818 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,288,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. Advisory Resource Group boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Advisory Resource Group now owns 1,632 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $935,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the period. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Caterpillar by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC now owns 1,164 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $825,000 after buying 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 buying an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sylvest Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Caterpillar by 3.6% in 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 during the period. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In related news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 360 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 of the company's stock, valued at $480,180. This trade represents a 40.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total transaction of $14,399,860.54. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,935 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $48,631,913.85. This represents a 22.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Caterpillar Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CAT opened at $807.88 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $925.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $811.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $372.10 billion, a PE ratio of 40.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.81. Caterpillar Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $405.46 and a fifty-two week high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last released 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 return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The company had revenue of $17.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.25 EPS. Caterpillar's quarterly revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This is a boost from Caterpillar's previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar's payout ratio is currently 32.45%.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar announced up to $10 million for workforce development in Illinois, part of its broader five-year, $100 million Building the Future Workforce Initiative. The investment is intended to address manufacturing and technician shortages, supporting long-term operating capacity and regional growth. Caterpillar Invests in the Future of Manufacturing Talent in Illinois
• Positive Sentiment: Several investment articles remain bullish, arguing that Caterpillar’s recent decline could create an attractive entry point for long-term investors ahead of earnings. The company has also benefited from strong demand, with its latest reported quarter showing revenue growth and earnings above analyst expectations. Here's Why Caterpillar Is a Buy Before Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is focused on Caterpillar’s second-quarter results, including key operating metrics such as sales, margins and segment performance. The earnings release could determine whether the recent demand strength offsets concerns about valuation and end-market risks. Unlocking Q2 Potential of Caterpillar
• Negative Sentiment: Robert W. Baird downgraded CAT from Outperform to Neutral and reduced its price target to $900 from $1,200. Analyst Mig Dobre cited growing backlash and uncertainty surrounding the data-center construction boom, which had helped drive enthusiasm for Caterpillar’s power-generation products. Baird Just Downgraded Caterpillar Stock
• Negative Sentiment: The downgrade intensified concerns that Caterpillar trades at a historically elevated valuation and could be vulnerable if AI-related infrastructure spending slows. Commentary also noted bearish positioning, including Michael Burry’s reported negative view of the stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. HSBC boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Robert W. Baird restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $900.00 price target (down from $1,200.00) on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday. DA Davidson upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price objective on Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Caterpillar from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $966.29.

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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