Manning & Napier Advisors LLC Sells 3,335 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Manning & Napier Advisors cut its Caterpillar stake by 9.6% in the first quarter, selling 3,335 shares and leaving it with 31,261 shares valued at about $22.1 million.
• Wall Street remains constructive on CAT, with several firms raising price targets; the consensus rating is “Moderate Buy” and the average target stands at $970.81.
• Caterpillar reported strong quarterly results with EPS of $5.54 and revenue of $17.41 billion, while also raising its quarterly dividend to $1.63 per share from $1.51.

Manning & Napier Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 9.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 31,261 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 3,335 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $22,147,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of CAT. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Caterpillar in the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 220.0% during the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 47.4% in the 4th quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CAT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wolfe Research upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $1,050.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $900.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Argus raised their target price on Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, May 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $970.81.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 360 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $906.00, for a total transaction of $326,160.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 530 shares in the company, valued at approximately $480,180. This trade represents a 40.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $922.92, for a total transaction of $22,354,968.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 86,029 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $79,397,884.68. This trade represents a 21.97% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar is being highlighted as a way to gain exposure to the AI buildout, especially through demand tied to data center construction, which is helping bolster investor optimism. These Dividend Paying Stocks Offer Strong Exposure to AI Trends
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/commentary pieces continue to frame Caterpillar as a stock with strong momentum and relative outperformance, supporting the bullish case for CAT. CAT Outperforms NVDA & Tech Sector, AI Data Center Demand Powers Growth
• Positive Sentiment: News that Caterpillar is opening an engineering design centre adds to the company’s investment and expansion story, which can be supportive for long-term growth expectations. Caterpillar Inc. opens engineering design centre
• Positive Sentiment: Reports of a multimillion-dollar global headquarters expansion in Las Colinas suggest continued capital investment and confidence in the business outlook. Caterpillar digs into new $34M HQ in Las Colinas
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary notes that Caterpillar remains a popular industrial stock to watch, but these list-style articles do not provide a clear new catalyst. Industrial Stocks To Consider - July 9th
• Neutral Sentiment: Another feature discusses Caterpillar among “calls of the day,” indicating ongoing trader attention rather than a specific fundamental update. Calls of the day: AbbVie, Caterpillar, Marriott, Lamar Advertising and PepsiCo
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage says CAT has dipped while the broader market rose, and other commentary warns the stock may be losing momentum as investors weigh valuation, tariffs, and execution risks. Caterpillar (CAT) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts
• Negative Sentiment: One bearish note suggests the AI rally may be fading, with valuation concerns making investors more cautious about further upside. CAT Stock Heads For Second Weekly Loss: Is Caterpillar's AI Rally Fading?

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CAT traded up $14.03 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $952.42. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,957,575 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,658,716. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average of $930.83 and a 200 day moving average of $782.09. Caterpillar Inc. has a twelve month low of $401.70 and a twelve month high of $1,073.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $438.68 billion, a PE ratio of 47.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.57.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $17.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 period in the prior year, the company earned $4.25 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

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

About Caterpillar

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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