Main Street Research LLC Has $43.29 Million Stock Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Main Street Research LLC increased its Caterpillar stake by 2.6% in the first quarter, bringing holdings to 61,110 shares worth about $43.3 million.
• Caterpillar continues to draw heavy institutional interest, with firms like Vanguard, State Street, and Geode also adding shares; overall, about 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
• The company reported strong quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, while also raising its dividend to $1.63 per share quarterly. However, the stock faces some near-term caution from analysts and recent insider selling, even as Wall Street still rates it a Moderate Buy.

Main Street Research LLC lifted its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 2.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 61,110 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,551 shares during the period. Caterpillar makes up approximately 2.5% of Main Street Research LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. Main Street Research LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $43,294,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. 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 purchasing an additional 442,164 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,388,550 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $20,273,039,000 after purchasing an additional 385,204 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Caterpillar by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,610,182 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $6,072,572,000 after buying an additional 94,524 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,493,266 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,438,408,000 after buying an additional 54,069 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in 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 worth $3,860,457,000 after buying an additional 928,974 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar is being viewed as a beneficiary of AI infrastructure spending, with analysts and commentators highlighting strong demand tied to data center construction and broader AI buildout. CAT Outperforms NVDA & Tech Sector, AI Data Center Demand Powers Growth
• Positive Sentiment: The company continues to expand its mining technology capabilities after acquiring Skycatch, a move aimed at improving mine safety, productivity, and planning with AI and near-real-time spatial data. Caterpillar acquires Skycatch to expand mining technology portfolio
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar’s planned headquarters expansion in Las Colinas signals ongoing investment and confidence in long-term business growth. Caterpillar digs into new $34M HQ expansion in Las Colinas
• Positive Sentiment: Investor-friendly capital returns remain a support factor, with attention on Caterpillar’s dividend hike and buybacks as part of its cash-return profile. Why Caterpillar’s Dividend Hike and Buybacks Make Capital-Return Mix Central to Its Tax Profile
• Neutral Sentiment: Market roundups continue to list Caterpillar among industrial and mining names to watch, but these pieces do not add a major new catalyst. Industrial Stocks To Watch Today - July 8th
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage says Caterpillar is losing momentum as investors question whether the AI rally has gone too far, with valuation, tariffs, and execution risks weighing on sentiment. CAT Stock Heads For Second Weekly Loss: Is Caterpillar's AI Rally Fading?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation-focused commentary suggests Caterpillar may already be priced for a lot of future growth, which can limit upside near term. Is Caterpillar (CAT) Still A Bargain Or Already Fully Priced?
• Negative Sentiment: Another headline noted Caterpillar stock dipping in the latest session, reinforcing near-term weakness in trading sentiment. Caterpillar (CAT) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts

Caterpillar Trading Down 1.0%

CAT opened at $938.29 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $432.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.70, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The company's 50 day moving average is $927.99 and its 200-day moving average is $780.89. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $401.70 and a 1-year high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. The business 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 quarterly revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.25 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Caterpillar's previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Caterpillar news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was 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 $42,210,388.80. This represents a 26.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $922.92, for a total value of $22,354,968.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 86,029 shares of the company's stock, valued at $79,397,884.68. This represents a 21.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $1,043.00 to $1,218.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $900.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,103.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wolfe Research boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $769.00 to $879.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $970.81.

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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