Bank of Nova Scotia Makes New Investment in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Bank of Nova Scotia acquired 294,412 Caterpillar shares during the second quarter, valued at approximately $313.5 million, giving it about a 0.06% stake. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 70.98% of CAT.
• Caterpillar reported a strong quarter, with earnings of $8.17 per share and revenue of $20.54 billion, beating analyst estimates; revenue increased 23.7% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.63, or $6.52 annually.
• Analysts remain generally positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $995.52, although some firms maintain neutral or hold ratings. Shares opened at $813.51, while CEO Joseph Creed recently sold approximately $26.2 million worth of stock.

Bank of Nova Scotia bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 294,412 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $313,522,000. Bank of Nova Scotia owned approximately 0.06% of Caterpillar as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in CAT. Lam Group Inc. bought a new position in Caterpillar during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Caterpillar by 220.0% during the 4th quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. raised its stake in Caterpillar by 440.0% in the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Caterpillar during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Matrix Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 93.8% in the 2nd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 31 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CAT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Caterpillar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $1,002.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $950.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $877.00 to $897.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $995.52.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

CAT stock opened at $813.51 on Friday. Caterpillar Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $416.44 and a fifty-two week high of $1,073.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $872.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $838.46. The company has a market capitalization of $373.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.00, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.60.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $1.95. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.51% and a return on equity of 55.53%. The business had revenue of $20.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.34 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.72 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th were paid a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 20th. This is a positive change from Caterpillar's previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio is 28.06%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total value of $26,211,760.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,555 shares of the company's stock, valued at $27,954,303.90. This trade represents a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate 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: FieldAI partnership supports the automation outlook. Caterpillar is combining its construction-equipment expertise with FieldAI’s physical-AI technology to develop autonomous capabilities for machines and improve safety, productivity and visibility at jobsites. The initiative could create longer-term revenue opportunities in equipment, software and services. Caterpillar partners with FieldAI for equipment automation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and quantitative sentiment has improved. Zacks upgraded CAT to Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” citing rising optimism about earnings prospects. Erste Group Bank also raised its fiscal 2026 EPS forecast, adding to the constructive outlook. Caterpillar upgraded to Strong Buy
• Positive Sentiment: AI infrastructure is boosting Power & Energy demand. Caterpillar’s retail sales to power-generation users reportedly surged 72% year over year in the second quarter, as data centers and generative-AI infrastructure increase demand for reliable power. This gives CAT an additional growth driver beyond traditional construction and mining markets. Can CAT Stock Compound Its Way Higher?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings performance remains a strength, but expectations are elevated. Caterpillar’s latest quarterly results exceeded consensus estimates for both earnings and revenue, with revenue up 23.7% year over year. A sector review described CAT as the strongest heavy-machinery performer, though investors are increasingly pricing in continued execution.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and performance concerns could limit upside. Commentary notes that CAT has outperformed peers in the stock market more than in underlying business performance, leaving the shares dependent on future growth. The stock has also declined since its latest earnings report, while a report tied the recent weakness to insider selling. CAT Has Left Its Peers Behind. Or Has It?

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source