Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Shares Acquired by Vise Technologies Inc.

Key Points

• Vise Technologies Inc. increased its Caterpillar stake by 36.2% in the fourth quarter, ending with 23,788 shares valued at about $13.6 million. Several other institutional investors also boosted or initiated positions, and institutions now own 70.98% of the company.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish on CAT, with multiple firms raising price targets, including HSBC to $1,100 and Argus to $990. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $933.27.
• Caterpillar posted strong quarterly results, beating earnings and revenue estimates with EPS of $5.54 versus $4.65 expected and revenue of $17.42 billion, up 22.2% year over year. The company also raised investor appeal by paying a $1.51 quarterly dividend and trading near its 52-week high.

Vise Technologies Inc. grew its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 36.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,788 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 6,326 shares during the period. Vise Technologies Inc.'s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $13,627,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of CAT. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its position in Caterpillar by 7.3% in the third quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 17,262 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $8,237,000 after acquiring an additional 1,181 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC purchased a new stake in Caterpillar in the third quarter valued at $8,893,000. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D raised its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 2.5% in the third quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 165,677 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $79,053,000 after buying an additional 4,010 shares during the last quarter. Juno Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth about $877,000. Finally, ARK Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 11.7% during the third quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 31,144 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $14,860,000 after buying an additional 3,268 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company's stock.

More Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Tariff relief on farm and construction equipment could lower input costs and improve Caterpillar’s profitability, making the stock more attractive to investors. Trump Just Gave Caterpillar Stock a Boost. What to Know.
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary suggests Caterpillar is among the equipment makers that could benefit most from the tariff cuts, reinforcing the bullish case for CAT shares. When Trump Cuts Tariffs on Farm and Construction Equipment, These 5 Stocks Win Big
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Caterpillar’s BEPU electric drivetrain effort highlights the company’s long-term electrification strategy, but it appears to be more of a future-growth theme than a near-term stock driver. Caterpillar BEPU makes going electric as easy as swapping an engine
• Neutral Sentiment: General industry roundups and market coverage mention Caterpillar among construction stocks to watch, but they do not provide a new company-specific catalyst. Construction Stocks To Consider - June 1st
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market reporting noted CAT rising alongside the Dow, but this reflects general risk-on sentiment rather than a separate fundamental development. Dow moves higher as shares of Caterpillar climb

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on CAT shares. DA Davidson raised their price target on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Barclays raised their price target on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Argus increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. HSBC increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $769.00 to $879.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $933.27.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of the 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 sale, the insider directly owned 86,029 shares in the company, valued at $79,397,884.68. This represents a 21.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.80, for a total transaction of $14,928,254.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 46,041 shares in the company, valued at $42,210,388.80. This represents a 26.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Caterpillar Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of CAT opened at $940.91 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The firm's 50-day moving average is $828.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $713.07. Caterpillar Inc. has a twelve month low of $345.85 and a twelve month high of $946.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $433.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.83, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.59.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The company had revenue of $17.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.25 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

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 $1.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, April 20th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio is currently 30.06%.

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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