Larson Financial Group LLC Grows Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Larson Financial Group increased its Caterpillar stake by 73.6% in the fourth quarter, ending with 12,915 shares valued at about $7.4 million.
• Several large institutional investors also boosted their Caterpillar holdings, and hedge funds now own 70.98% of the company’s shares.
• Analysts remain constructive on CAT after strong earnings, with the company beating quarterly EPS and revenue estimates; the stock carries a Moderate Buy consensus and a target price of $923.14.

Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 73.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 12,915 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,476 shares during the quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $7,399,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Caterpillar by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,385,185 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,572,681,000 after purchasing an additional 442,164 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 5,098,964 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in Caterpillar by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,553,930 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,695,757,000 after purchasing an additional 609,023 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in Caterpillar by 2.2% in the 3rd 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 last quarter. Finally, Amundi raised its position in Caterpillar by 24.3% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,375,710 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,176,870,000 after buying an additional 464,036 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on CAT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $860.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $940.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. HSBC upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Argus upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $923.14.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other 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 transaction of $14,928,254.40. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 46,041 shares of the company's stock, valued at $42,210,388.80. This represents a 26.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total transaction of $11,444,205.55. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 49,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,236,615.75. This trade represents a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 100,551 shares of company stock worth $91,170,351. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Caterpillar News Roundup

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

Caterpillar Stock Performance

NYSE:CAT opened at $862.49 on Tuesday. 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 fifty-two week low of $336.24 and a fifty-two week high of $931.35. The stock has a market cap of $397.26 billion, a PE ratio of 42.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.63. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $778.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $683.50.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The business had revenue of $17.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.25 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

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

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.

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