Cetera Trust Company N.A Boosts Stock Position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)

Cetera Trust Company N.A raised its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 512.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,198 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,839 shares during the quarter. Cetera Trust Company N.A's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $725,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of CAT. Wagner Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Caterpillar by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Wagner Wealth Management LLC now owns 668 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the period. Adell Harriman & Carpenter Inc. grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Adell Harriman & Carpenter Inc. now owns 2,256 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $818,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Abacus Planning Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 2,897 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,051,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. lifted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 471 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $171,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Finally, Beacon Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 1,432 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $520,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CAT traded down $2.29 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $360.85. 1,571,463 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,586,095. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $323.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $349.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 0.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $169.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.37. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52 week low of $267.30 and a 52 week high of $418.50.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $4.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.35 by ($0.10). Caterpillar had a return on equity of 58.18% and a net margin of 16.65%. The company had revenue of $14.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.60 EPS. The business's revenue was down 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 21st will be given a $1.51 dividend. This is an increase from Caterpillar's previous quarterly dividend of $1.41. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.67%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 21st. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Caterpillar from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $395.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird upgraded Caterpillar from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $309.00 to $395.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. DA Davidson boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $325.00 to $331.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, May 5th. Evercore ISI cut their target price on Caterpillar from $375.00 to $373.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 19th. Finally, Truist Financial restated a "buy" rating and set a $396.00 price target (up previously from $389.00) on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $372.92.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other news, Director David Maclennan acquired 375 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $320.70 per share, with a total value of $120,262.50. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 6,653 shares in the company, valued at $2,133,617.10. The trade was a 5.97% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

About Caterpillar

Caterpillar Inc manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives in worldwide. Its Construction Industries segment offers asphalt pavers, compactors, road reclaimers, forestry machines, cold planers, material handlers, track-type tractors, excavators, telehandlers, motor graders, and pipelayers; compact track, wheel, track-type, backhoe, and skid steer loaders; and related parts and tools.