Principal Financial Group Inc. Lowers Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 3.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 566,459 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 20,910 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.12% of Caterpillar worth $324,507,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Caterpillar by 3,949.8% in 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. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 1,851.8% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,830,414 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $873,382,000 after purchasing an additional 1,736,631 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,553,930 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,695,757,000 after purchasing an additional 609,023 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 24.3% in the third 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, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,385,185 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,572,681,000 after purchasing an additional 442,164 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Caterpillar Stock Up 3.4%

CAT opened at $904.60 on Wednesday. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $749.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $659.59. The company has a market capitalization of $416.65 billion, a PE ratio of 45.03, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.63. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $318.11 and a 1-year high of $908.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The firm had revenue of $17.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.25 EPS. Caterpillar's revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 23.68 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be paid a $1.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 20th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.06%.

Insider Activity

In other Caterpillar news, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 2,278 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $759.61, for a total transaction of $1,730,391.58. Following the sale, the insider owned 1,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,096,117.23. This trade represents a 61.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $720.11, for a total transaction of $16,314,812.16. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares in the company, valued at $57,574,954.83. This represents a 22.08% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 49,736 shares of company stock worth $37,401,255. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings and outlook: CAT posted a sizable Q1 beat, with revenue and EPS above estimates and rising backlog, which underpins management’s constructive outlook and is a primary driver of investor enthusiasm. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Caterpillar Stock Post Q1 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/price target lift: Argus raised its price target to $990 and maintained a buy rating, providing fresh analyst support that helps justify higher multiples. Argus adjusts price target on Caterpillar to $990
• Positive Sentiment: AI / data‑center narrative: Multiple outlets are framing Caterpillar as an AI‑infrastructure beneficiary (power, generators, hyperscale demand), which has re-rated the stock and attracted momentum buying. This thematic shift is amplifying gains beyond cyclical construction/mining drivers. Industrial-Strength Rally: Why Caterpillar Is Up 53%...
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate wins / tech sales: Carmeuse selected Caterpillar’s autonomous hauling solution (adoption of CAT autonomy in mining/quarrying) and Cat’s electric power products are gaining spotlight—both support incremental revenue and product diversification. Carmeuse selects Caterpillar’s autonomous hauling solution
• Positive Sentiment: Director buy: Director David Maclennan purchased 250 shares, a modest insider buy that provides a supportive signal to investors. SEC filing: Director purchase
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst posture: DA Davidson raised its price target but maintained a neutral rating, suggesting some analysts see limited near‑term upside from current levels. DA Davidson adjusts price target on Caterpillar to $845
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and media attention: Rising options activity and extensive media coverage (trending pieces, Zacks features) are increasing short‑term volatility and attention but don’t change fundamentals by themselves. Do Options Traders Know Something About Caterpillar Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: An insider (Jason Kaiser) sold 5,642 shares for roughly $5M, trimming his position by ~37%, which some investors may view as a cautionary signal despite other positive indicators. SEC filing: Insider sale

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CAT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $940.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $677.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $878.91.

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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