CENTRAL TRUST Co Reduces Stock Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• CENTRAL TRUST Co cut its stake in Caterpillar by 3.5% in Q4 to 36,508 shares valued at $20.915M; institutions own about 70.98% of the stock and insiders sold 125,950 shares (~$88.6M) in the last three months (insider ownership 0.33%).
• Caterpillar beat Q1 revenue and EPS expectations and reported a record backlog, with AI- and data-center-driven demand boosting its power systems business and prompting management to raise 2030 targets and plan to roughly triple power-generation capacity.
• Multiple analysts raised price targets and upgraded ratings (consensus rating “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $862.32), though management warned of $2.2B–$2.4B in 2026 tariff costs that could pressure margins.

CENTRAL TRUST Co cut its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 3.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 36,508 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,335 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $20,915,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 681 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $390,000 after buying an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Security Financial Services INC. increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Security Financial Services INC. now owns 3,609 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,068,000 after buying an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Purus Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Purus Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,018 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,729,000 after buying an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. KWB Wealth increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. KWB Wealth now owns 549 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $315,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Montecito Bank & Trust increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 3,362 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,926,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CAT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $677.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $905.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Oppenheimer set a $980.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $940.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $862.32.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar beat Q1 revenue and EPS expectations and reported a record backlog, driven by higher volume and pricing across construction and power systems — a core reason the stock rallied after earnings. Caterpillar expects AI-driven demand for power, construction to fuel growth — Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts sharply raised price targets and upgraded ratings (JPMorgan, Jefferies, Wells Fargo, Baird, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley among others), signaling renewed street confidence and creating upward momentum for the stock. Morgan Stanley Doubles Price Target to $915 — 247WallSt
• Positive Sentiment: Demand tied to AI/data-center buildouts is boosting Cat’s power and energy backlog; management is raising 2030 targets and plans to roughly triple power-generation capacity, which supports a multi-year growth runway beyond cyclical construction. Caterpillar to triple power generation capacity — Yahoo Finance
• Positive Sentiment: Market narrative has shifted: short interest and skeptical bears are receding as the AI-power story gains traction, amplifying upside as skeptics fold. Caterpillar’s biggest bear folds as AI power demand soars — Mining.com
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic partnerships (e.g., framework with ProPetro’s PROPWR) and large supply agreements for data-center and industrial power strengthen the revenue mix in higher-margin power systems. Caterpillar taps PROPWR and data centers — Yahoo Finance
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical momentum is strong (IBD composite rating surged toward the top of the universe) and the company announced a virtual annual shareholder meeting; these are market-interest and governance items rather than direct catalysts. IBD Composite Rating Surges — Yahoo/IBD
• Negative Sentiment: Management warned of significant tariff costs for 2026 — a $2.2B–$2.4B range — that will pressure margins and partially offset revenue strength; investors should watch margin trends and any changes to the tariff outlook. Caterpillar signals tariff cost range and 2026 sales growth — Seeking Alpha

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $776.90, for a total value of $6,130,517.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 46,643 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $36,236,946.70. The trade was a 14.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $720.11, for a total transaction of $16,314,812.16. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares of the company's stock, valued at $57,574,954.83. The trade was a 22.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 125,950 shares of company stock worth $88,577,390 in the last three months. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Caterpillar Stock Up 0.0%

CAT stock opened at $890.15 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $414.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.31, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.35. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $318.11 and a one year high of $905.00. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $746.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $656.09.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. The firm had revenue of $17.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.53 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. Caterpillar's revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.25 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 23.08 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

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

Caterpillar Company 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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