Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Shares Sold by Vest Financial LLC

Key Points

• Vest Financial LLC trimmed its stake in Caterpillar by 21.8% in Q4, selling 30,549 shares and ending the quarter with 109,763 shares valued at $62.88 million (its 23rd largest holding).
• Insiders have been net sellers, disposing of 125,950 shares worth $88.58 million over the last quarter, including Anthony D. Fassino’s sale of 7,891 shares at an average price of $776.90, leaving insiders with 0.33% ownership.
• Wall Street is broadly constructive: the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $767.77, and several firms have raised targets (e.g., Citigroup $905, HSBC $850, Wells Fargo $960), despite valuation concerns.

Vest Financial LLC cut its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 21.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 109,763 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 30,549 shares during the period. Caterpillar accounts for 0.8% of Vest Financial LLC's holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Vest Financial LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $62,880,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,385,185 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,572,681,000 after buying an additional 442,164 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 3,949.8% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,228,058 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,494,568,000 after buying an additional 5,098,964 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 20.7% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,553,930 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,695,757,000 after buying an additional 609,023 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 2.2% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,802,068 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,337,007,000 after buying an additional 58,993 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 24.3% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 2,375,710 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,176,870,000 after buying an additional 464,036 shares during the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $776.90, for a total transaction of $6,130,517.90. Following the sale, the insider owned 46,643 shares in the company, valued at $36,236,946.70. This represents a 14.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 972 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $764.20, for a total value of $742,802.40. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 824 shares in the company, valued at approximately $629,700.80. This trade represents a 54.12% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 125,950 shares of company stock worth $88,577,390 over the last quarter. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on CAT shares. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. HSBC upped their price target on Caterpillar from $660.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on Caterpillar from $678.00 to $769.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Citigroup upped their price target on Caterpillar from $785.00 to $905.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Williams Trading set a $825.00 price target on Caterpillar in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $767.77.

Caterpillar Price Performance

CAT stock opened at $829.84 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The company has a market capitalization of $386.12 billion, a PE ratio of 44.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.52. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12-month low of $302.17 and a 12-month high of $845.27. The business's fifty day moving average price is $742.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $649.99.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $5.14 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 22.89 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio is 32.09%.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets report a string of small upward revisions to Caterpillar’s near‑term EPS (Q3/Q4 2026 and Q3/Q4 2027), which supports expectations for stronger quarterly results ahead of Q1 reporting. These marginal upgrades can lift sentiment by reducing downside earnings risk. MarketBeat CAT page
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $960 (from $870) and bumped 2026–2028 EPS forecasts, citing projects such as Solar Turbines that bolster longer‑term revenue and margin prospects — a prominent broker upgrade that can attract buyers and supports upside. Wells Fargo lifts PT on Caterpillar (Yahoo)
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple media stories highlight growing power demand from data centers and inclusion in “quality dividend” lists; analysts and commentators (including Jim Cramer mentions) emphasize CAT’s exposure to data‑center power and rental/engine demand, which supports a growth narrative beyond construction/mining cycles. Caterpillar positioned for long-term growth (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street previews and Zacks pieces ahead of Q1 earnings focus attention on key metrics beyond headline revenue/EPS (backlog, margin mix, dealer inventories). These previews raise expectations but also amplify volatility around the upcoming report. Ahead of Caterpillar Q1 earnings (Zacks)
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar’s strategic moves — acquisition of Monarch Tractor (automation/electric ag) and a planned CFO transition — point to portfolio diversification and management succession that are positive long term but introduce short‑term integration and execution risk. Monarch deal and CFO shift (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Critical commentary argues CAT’s rally is being driven by data‑center hype and that the stock trades at a high P/E (and recent articles label it a “data center trap”), raising valuation concerns; such narratives can pressure the stock if investors rotate out of cyclicals into cheaper or purer tech plays. Caterpillar: The 43x P/E Data Center Trap (Seeking Alpha)

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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