Merit Financial Group LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Merit Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,984 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,714 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $52,164,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in CAT. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Caterpillar in the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 220.0% in the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 440.0% during the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised earnings forecasts. Zacks Research increased its EPS projections across several periods, including FY2027 to $30.14 from $29.01 and FY2028 to $35.97 from $34.31. The firm maintained a “Strong-Buy” rating, signaling improved confidence in Caterpillar’s long-term earnings outlook. Zacks Research estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Growth momentum remains a supporting factor. A Zacks analysis said volume-driven growth is accelerating across Caterpillar’s three segments and prompted a sharp increase in its 2026 sales outlook. The company also announced a $3 million workforce investment in Arkansas, supporting local hiring and operations. Caterpillar volume gains analysis Caterpillar workforce initiative
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent gains may be prompting profit-taking. Commentary highlighted that CAT has risen sharply over the past year, increasing attention to valuation and how much future growth is already reflected in the stock. CAT stock performance analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Weak industrial data raised demand concerns. U.S. industrial production was weaker than expected in July, prompting investors to question whether Caterpillar’s record backlog can withstand a slowdown in industrial activity and equipment demand. Weaker U.S. industrial output analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Market-wide selling pressured CAT. Caterpillar and Goldman Sachs were cited as major drags on the Dow amid a pullback in AI-related and technology-linked trades. This appears to reflect broader risk reduction and sector rotation rather than a new company-specific operational setback. Dow market pressure

Caterpillar Trading Down 3.1%

Shares of Caterpillar stock opened at $814.68 on Thursday. Caterpillar Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $410.52 and a fifty-two week high of $1,073.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $374.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.06, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.60. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $912.19 and a 200 day moving average of $832.06.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $1.95. The business had revenue of $20.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.34 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 55.53% and a net margin of 14.51%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.72 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 26.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from Caterpillar's previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar's payout ratio is 28.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $1,050.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Erste Group Bank lowered Caterpillar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Caterpillar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $1,020.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $995.52.

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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