Liontrust Investment Partners LLP Makes New Investment in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Liontrust Investment Partners LLP purchased a new stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 25,328 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $17,944,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of CAT. Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 68,427.2% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,140,603 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,224,992,000 after acquiring an additional 3,136,020 shares during the period. Capital International Investors bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 4th quarter valued at $1,225,317,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Caterpillar by 573.1% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,504,612 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $861,947,000 after purchasing an additional 1,281,087 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Caterpillar by 16.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,738,802 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,860,457,000 after buying an additional 928,974 shares during the period. Finally, Cynosure Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 8,359.6% in the fourth quarter. Cynosure Group LLC now owns 513,754 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $294,314,000 after buying an additional 507,681 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 49,825 shares in the company, valued at $45,236,615.75. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 360 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $906.00, for a total value of $326,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 530 shares of the company's stock, valued at $480,180. The trade was a 40.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635 in the last 90 days. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Caterpillar Trading Up 3.2%

CAT stock opened at $807.88 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $372.10 billion, a PE ratio of 40.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.35. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $405.46 and a one year high of $1,073.46. The company's 50 day moving average price is $925.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $811.49.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 $17.41 billion during 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.25 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be issued a $1.63 dividend. This is an increase from Caterpillar's previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.45%.

More Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar announced up to $10 million for workforce development in Illinois, part of its broader five-year, $100 million Building the Future Workforce Initiative. The investment is intended to address manufacturing and technician shortages, supporting long-term operating capacity and regional growth. Caterpillar Invests in the Future of Manufacturing Talent in Illinois
• Positive Sentiment: Several investment articles remain bullish, arguing that Caterpillar’s recent decline could create an attractive entry point for long-term investors ahead of earnings. The company has also benefited from strong demand, with its latest reported quarter showing revenue growth and earnings above analyst expectations. Here's Why Caterpillar Is a Buy Before Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is focused on Caterpillar’s second-quarter results, including key operating metrics such as sales, margins and segment performance. The earnings release could determine whether the recent demand strength offsets concerns about valuation and end-market risks. Unlocking Q2 Potential of Caterpillar
• Negative Sentiment: Robert W. Baird downgraded CAT from Outperform to Neutral and reduced its price target to $900 from $1,200. Analyst Mig Dobre cited growing backlash and uncertainty surrounding the data-center construction boom, which had helped drive enthusiasm for Caterpillar’s power-generation products. Baird Just Downgraded Caterpillar Stock
• Negative Sentiment: The downgrade intensified concerns that Caterpillar trades at a historically elevated valuation and could be vulnerable if AI-related infrastructure spending slows. Commentary also noted bearish positioning, including Michael Burry’s reported negative view of the stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on CAT shares. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Caterpillar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday. Argus raised their price target on Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. HSBC lifted their price target on Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $1,043.00 to $1,218.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Caterpillar from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $966.29.

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.