Independent Financial Group LLC Takes $8.27 Million Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Independent Financial Group LLC opened a new position in Caterpillar, buying 11,667 shares worth about $8.27 million in the first quarter.
• Caterpillar’s recent operating results and outlook remain solid: the company beat last quarter’s earnings and revenue estimates, while analysts still expect strong full-year EPS growth and several firms have raised price targets. However, Zacks Research recently downgraded the stock to hold, and the shares have seen some profit-taking ahead of earnings.
• The company also boosted its quarterly dividend to $1.63 per share from $1.51, and institutional ownership remains high at 70.98% of shares outstanding.

Independent Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 11,667 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $8,265,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Pacific Point Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth approximately $579,000. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Caterpillar by 51.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 7,409 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,688,000 after buying an additional 2,519 shares during the last quarter. United Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 108.5% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 4,083 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,585,000 after buying an additional 2,125 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 3.9% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,147 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,551,000 after buying an additional 347 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 6.5% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 572,165 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $222,120,000 after acquiring an additional 34,846 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research lifted Caterpillar’s earnings outlook for multiple periods, including FY2026, FY2027 and FY2028, signaling stronger profit growth ahead and supporting the long-term bull case for CAT.
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street commentary ahead of Caterpillar’s Q2 2026 report points to a double-digit rise in profits, suggesting the upcoming earnings release could act as a catalyst if results meet or beat expectations. What to Expect From Caterpillar's Q2 2026 Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest in Caterpillar remains elevated around themes tied to infrastructure, power demand and data-center buildouts, which may provide a broader backdrop of demand for heavy equipment and power-related products. 3 Stocks Riding the AI Data Center Power Buildout in July
• Negative Sentiment: The downgrade to hold from Zacks Research is the most immediate negative catalyst, likely pressuring sentiment despite the improved earnings forecasts.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent trading weakness in CAT also shows investors have been taking profits ahead of earnings, leaving the stock vulnerable to any disappointment in the upcoming report.

Caterpillar Stock Down 4.1%

CAT stock opened at $876.44 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $931.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $792.83. The stock has a market cap of $403.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.63, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.57. 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 twelve month low of $405.46 and a twelve month high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The company had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.25 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.86 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This is a positive change from Caterpillar's previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.06%.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In related news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.80, for a total value of $14,928,254.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 46,041 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $42,210,388.80. This represents a 26.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Jason Kaiser sold 5,642 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $883.03, for a total value of $4,982,055.26. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 9,594 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,471,789.82. The trade was a 37.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on CAT. Bank of America increased their target price on Caterpillar from $930.00 to $989.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Wolfe Research raised their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Argus boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $769.00 to $879.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $980.57.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.