LaFleur & Godfrey LLC Sells 3,371 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• LaFleur & Godfrey LLC reduced its stake in Caterpillar by 6.6%, selling 3,371 shares and leaving it with 47,543 shares worth $27.24 million; CAT represents about 3.3% of the firm's holdings and is its 5th largest position.
• Caterpillar beat Q1 estimates (EPS $5.54 vs $4.65; revenue $17.42B vs $16.53B), triggering multiple price‑target upgrades and an average MarketBeat rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $878.91 target as the stock traded near a 12‑month high (~$904.60).
• Significant insider selling occurred recently—insiders sold 49,736 shares (~$37.4M) in the last 90 days, including large sales by Lange Bob De and Anthony Fassino—though a director made a small purchase of 250 shares.

LaFleur & Godfrey LLC reduced its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 6.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 47,543 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 3,371 shares during the period. Caterpillar accounts for approximately 3.3% of LaFleur & Godfrey LLC's holdings, making the stock its 5th largest holding. LaFleur & Godfrey LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $27,236,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in CAT. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 1.0% during the 4th 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 period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Caterpillar by 3,949.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,228,058 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,494,568,000 after acquiring an additional 5,098,964 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 20.7% during the 3rd 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 acquiring an additional 609,023 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its holdings 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 valued at $1,337,007,000 after purchasing an additional 58,993 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 24.3% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 2,375,710 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,176,870,000 after purchasing an additional 464,036 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on CAT. Daiwa Securities Group increased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Friday, February 6th. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. Citigroup raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $905.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their target price on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $878.91.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of the company's 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 transaction, the insider owned 79,953 shares of the company's stock, valued at $57,574,954.83. This represents a 22.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 46,643 shares of the company's stock, valued at $36,236,946.70. This represents a 14.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 49,736 shares of company stock valued at $37,401,255 in the last 90 days. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Caterpillar News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and bullish outlook: Caterpillar reported stronger‑than‑expected revenue and EPS with rising backlog, which underpins management’s constructive outlook and is the primary fundamental driver of recent buying. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Caterpillar Stock Post Q1 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade / price target lift: Argus raised its price target to $990 and kept a buy rating, giving fresh sell‑side support that helps justify higher multiples. Argus adjusts price target on Caterpillar to $990
• Positive Sentiment: AI / data‑center narrative: Multiple outlets are highlighting incremental demand from data centers and hyperscalers (power systems, generators), which has re‑rated CAT beyond a pure cyclical industrial and attracted momentum flows. Industrial-Strength Rally: Why Caterpillar Is Up 53%...
• Positive Sentiment: Commercial wins and product diversification: Carmeuse selected CAT’s autonomous hauling for a quarry deployment and Cat’s electric power gear is getting commercial spotlight—these validate new revenue streams beyond equipment sales. Carmeuse selects Caterpillar’s autonomous hauling solution
• Positive Sentiment: Director buy: Director David Maclennan bought 250 shares (SEC filing), a modest insider purchase that signals continued insider confidence. SEC filing: Director purchase
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst posture: DA Davidson raised its price target but kept a neutral rating, indicating some analysts see limited incremental near‑term upside from stretched levels. DA Davidson adjusts price target on Caterpillar to $845
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and media attention: Elevated options activity and heavy coverage (trending articles, screens) increase short‑term volatility and retail/institutional interest but aren’t fundamental catalysts by themselves. Do Options Traders Know Something About Caterpillar Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: An insider (Jason Kaiser) sold ~5,642 shares (~$5M), reducing his stake materially—some investors may read this as a cautionary signal amid the rally. SEC filing: Insider sale

Caterpillar Stock Up 3.4%

Shares of CAT stock opened at $904.60 on Wednesday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12-month low of $318.11 and a 12-month high of $908.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $749.76 and a 200-day moving average of $659.59. The company has a market capitalization of $416.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.63.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. The business had revenue of $17.42 billion for 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%. The firm's revenue 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. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 23.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be given a dividend of $1.51 per share. 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 30.06%.

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.

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.