Merit Financial Group LLC Has $24.35 Million Stock Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Merit Financial Group increased its stake in Caterpillar by 27.4% in Q4, buying 9,131 shares to hold 42,512 shares worth about $24.35 million.
• Large institutions (e.g., Wellington, BNY Mellon, Amundi) have materially increased positions and Wall Street sentiment is bullish with several price‑target raises (Jefferies to ~$900), while Caterpillar’s acquisition of Monarch’s autonomous/electric tractor technology bolsters its digital/autonomy growth story.
• Caterpillar recently reported an earnings beat (Q quarter EPS $5.16 vs $4.67; revenue $19.13B vs $17.81B), trades at a high valuation (PE ≈41) with a $359B market cap, pays a $1.51 quarterly dividend (0.8% yield), and has seen notable insider selling.

Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 27.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 42,512 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 9,131 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $24,354,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Caterpillar by 3,949.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,228,058 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,494,568,000 after acquiring an additional 5,098,964 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 20.7% in the third 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 increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 2.2% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,802,068 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,337,007,000 after purchasing an additional 58,993 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 464,036 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,835,924 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,051,746,000 after purchasing an additional 5,510 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are raising targets and reiterating buy/outperform views — several firms lifted CAT targets this week (examples: Oppenheimer and Jefferies), arguing stronger North America trends, digital initiatives and long‑term demand support higher valuations. Price Target Raised to $832 Jefferies Raises Target to $900
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar acquired Monarch’s autonomous/electric tractor technology — a move that expands CAT’s footprint in ag robotics and autonomy, supporting its long‑term digital growth narrative. Investors view the deal as strategic for new product ecosystems and recurring services. Acquires Monarch Technology
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar set a Q1 2026 results release for April 30; the print and management commentary will be the next concrete catalyst for the stock. Q1 Results April 30
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple research pieces argue CAT can continue its rally (some model paths to $1,000) but also flag stretched valuation and cyclicality — a mixed backdrop that supports momentum but keeps downside risk if the cycle cools. Narrative Shifting / Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Reports about Monarch’s prior operational problems, dealer/farmer complaints and the startup’s collapse raise integration and execution risk for the acquisition — a potential headline risk if issues resurface. Monarch Collapse Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: CAT has seen short‑term pullbacks (recent session down ~3% on market moves) when broader indices dip; macro/market risk can quickly offset stock‑specific positives ahead of earnings. Stock Fell Amid Market Uptick

Caterpillar Stock Performance

CAT opened at $772.49 on Friday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $733.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $631.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The stock has a market cap of $359.43 billion, a PE ratio of 41.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.52. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1 year low of $282.46 and a 1 year high of $798.54.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.Caterpillar's quarterly revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $5.14 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.09%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on CAT. Argus raised their target price on Caterpillar from $625.00 to $820.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Williams Trading set a $825.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $625.00 to $700.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $756.00 to $870.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $751.45.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 972 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $764.20, for a total transaction of $742,802.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 824 shares in the company, valued at $629,700.80. This trade represents a 54.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 2,278 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $759.61, for a total value of $1,730,391.58. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 1,443 shares in the company, valued at $1,096,117.23. The trade was a 61.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 125,950 shares of company stock worth $88,577,390 in the last 90 days. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.

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