Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Shares Purchased by Fiduciary Alliance LLC

Key Points

• Fiduciary Alliance LLC increased its Caterpillar stake by 47.4% in the first quarter, buying an additional 1,024 shares and bringing its total holdings to 3,185 shares valued at about $2.45 million.
• Caterpillar reported strong quarterly results, with earnings of $5.54 per share and revenue of $17.41 billion, both beating analyst expectations. Revenue also rose 22.2% from a year earlier.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.63 per share from $1.51, while analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $939.86.

Fiduciary Alliance LLC raised its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 47.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,185 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,024 shares during the quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $2,453,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Caterpillar by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,385,185 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,572,681,000 after buying an additional 442,164 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,388,550 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $20,273,039,000 after acquiring an additional 385,204 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,610,182 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $6,072,572,000 after acquiring an additional 94,524 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,493,266 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,438,408,000 after acquiring an additional 54,069 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in Caterpillar by 16.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,738,802 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,860,457,000 after purchasing an additional 928,974 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total value of $11,444,205.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 49,825 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $45,236,615.75. This trade represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction of $14,399,860.54. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,935 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,631,913.85. The trade was a 22.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635 over the last 90 days. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CAT opened at $1,053.62 on Friday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $892.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $753.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $485.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.44, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $373.04 and a 52-week high of $1,057.07.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. The business had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 period in the prior year, the business posted $4.25 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is 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 0.6%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio is 30.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on CAT. Wolfe Research increased their price target on Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Morgan Stanley set a $915.00 price objective on Caterpillar and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. DA Davidson lifted their target price on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Caterpillar from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $939.86.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar is being boosted by a record backlog, AI-related power generation demand, and aggressive capital returns, which support the case for continued earnings strength. Caterpillar Soars But Analysts Remain Cautious
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reportedly raised its price recommendation on Caterpillar, reinforcing bullish sentiment around the stock’s dividend growth and long-term earnings power. Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks with Growing Dividends
• Positive Sentiment: Several writeups pointed to Caterpillar’s strong year-to-date and multi-year performance, suggesting investors are still re-rating the stock higher on expectations for continued growth. Caterpillar (CAT) Stock Near $984 After Big Rally Is There Still Upside Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles comparing Caterpillar to other industrial and mining stocks are mostly informational and do not appear to add a fresh catalyst on their own. Unpacking Q1 Earnings: Caterpillar NYSE: CAT In The Context Of Other Heavy Machinery Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: The Caterpillar Foundation’s $2.5 million initiative for America’s 250th anniversary is positive from a corporate social responsibility standpoint, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Caterpillar Foundation Announces $2.5 Million Initiative in Celebration of America's 250th Anniversary
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage noted that analysts remain cautious after the stock’s big rally, implying valuation concerns and the possibility of upside slowing from here. Caterpillar Soars But Analysts Remain Cautious

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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