HighTower Advisors LLC Decreases Stake in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors reduced its Caterpillar stake by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 29,919 shares and ending the period with 632,814 shares worth about $362.5 million.
• Insiders have also been selling: CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield and CAO William E. Schaupp both trimmed their holdings, and Caterpillar insiders sold 100,551 shares worth $91.2 million over the last 90 days.
• Caterpillar posted strong quarterly results, with EPS of $5.54 topping estimates and revenue rising 22.2% year over year to $17.42 billion, while the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.51 per share.

HighTower Advisors LLC cut its holdings in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 4.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 632,814 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 29,919 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.14% of Caterpillar worth $362,520,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of CAT. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 17,262 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $8,237,000 after buying an additional 1,181 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC purchased a new stake in Caterpillar during the third quarter valued at $8,893,000. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 4,010 shares during the period. Juno Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth about $877,000. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC increased its position in shares of Caterpillar by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 73,363 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,023,000 after purchasing an additional 2,565 shares during the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 360 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $906.00, for a total transaction of $326,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 530 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $480,180. This represents a 40.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total value of $14,399,860.54. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,935 shares of the company's stock, valued at $48,631,913.85. This represents a 22.85% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 100,551 shares of company stock valued at $91,170,351 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Caterpillar Price Performance

CAT stock opened at $862.49 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.35. The company's fifty day moving average price is $778.33 and its 200-day moving average price is $683.50. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $336.24 and a one year high of $931.35. The company has a market capitalization of $397.25 billion, a PE ratio of 42.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.63.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. The company had revenue of $17.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.25 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a $1.51 dividend. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. Caterpillar's payout ratio is 30.06%.

Caterpillar News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators continue to pitch Caterpillar as a top long-term stock, citing rising revenues, strong earnings growth, and an improving outlook for heavy equipment demand. Why Caterpillar (CAT) is a Top Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Several pieces frame CAT as an emerging AI infrastructure beneficiary, pointing to engine solutions for data centers and gas compression, which could expand demand beyond traditional construction and mining end markets. Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) Discusses Capacity Expansion and Engine Solutions for Data Centers and Gas Compression Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Investor optimism has intensified around CAT’s rerating, with some commentary suggesting the stock could keep climbing if backlog strength and AI-related demand remain intact. Price Prediction and Forecast: Can CAT Shares Hit $1000 By 2027?
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage comparing Caterpillar with Deere says CAT has the edge on revenue growth and earnings momentum, reinforcing a relatively constructive view on the stock despite tariff pressure. Caterpillar vs. Deere: Which Heavy Equipment Stock is the Better Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar is drawing heavy investor attention on news feeds and search activity, which signals heightened interest but not a clear fundamental catalyst by itself. Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: A local report on workforce and tariff issues at a Caterpillar-related facility underscores ongoing supply-chain and trade concerns, but it does not appear to be a major company-specific negative on its own. Hassan tours Milton CAT facility to discuss workforce, tariff issues
• Negative Sentiment: Some broader market coverage noted Caterpillar among the Dow components contributing to index losses, reflecting short-term selling pressure rather than a change in CAT’s fundamentals. Caterpillar, NVIDIA Corp. share losses lead Dow's nearly 150-point drop

Analyst Ratings Changes

CAT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $950.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $940.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $860.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Caterpillar from $905.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $923.14.

About Caterpillar

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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