Principal Financial Group Inc. Purchases 99,847 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its Caterpillar stake by 17.6% in Q1, buying 99,847 shares and bringing its total holding to 666,306 shares valued at about $472.1 million.
• Caterpillar reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $5.54 and revenue of $17.41 billion, both beating analyst estimates. Revenue rose 22.2% from a year earlier.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.63 per share from $1.51, while analysts remain broadly bullish with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and an average price target of $976.76.

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 17.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 666,306 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 99,847 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.14% of Caterpillar worth $472,051,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Advisory Resource Group boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Advisory Resource Group now owns 1,632 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $935,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC raised its position in Caterpillar by 1.1% in the first quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC now owns 1,164 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $825,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the period. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 2.6% in the first quarter. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC now owns 506 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $358,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Sylvest Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. Sylvest Advisors LLC now owns 377 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $267,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the period. Finally, Invst LLC grew its stake in Caterpillar by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Invst LLC now owns 753 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $431,000 after buying an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of CAT stock opened at $932.41 on Tuesday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $931.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $785.96. The stock has a market cap of $429.46 billion, a PE ratio of 46.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 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. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12 month low of $402.23 and a 12 month high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. The company had revenue of $17.41 billion during 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%. Caterpillar's quarterly revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.25 EPS. 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from Caterpillar's previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. Caterpillar's payout ratio is presently 30.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 360 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $906.00, for a total transaction of $326,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 530 shares of the company's stock, valued at $480,180. This trade represents a 40.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total value of $14,399,860.54. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,935 shares of the company's stock, valued at $48,631,913.85. The trade was a 22.85% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on CAT shares. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $980.00 to $1,105.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $976.76.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar’s Construction Industries segment is showing strong momentum, with Q1 2026 sales up 38% year over year. That performance is helping support the case for sustained growth in one of CAT’s most important businesses. Can CAT's Construction Industries Segment Deliver Sustained Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: The company is also leaning more heavily into recurring revenue through digital tools, equipment rental, and technology-driven services, which could improve earnings visibility and support its 2030 growth goals. Caterpillar (CAT) Bets On Recurring Revenue After 38% Construction Sales Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage remains constructive, with Caterpillar receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, reinforcing investor confidence in the stock’s longer-term fundamentals. Caterpillar Inc. NYSE: CAT Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Several comparison and “stocks to watch” articles mention Caterpillar alongside other industrial and construction names, which adds visibility but does not itself change the company’s fundamentals. Caterpillar vs. Oshkosh: Which Industrials Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: An article highlighting Caterpillar as a potential beneficiary of Federal Reserve pivot expectations points to macro-rate optimism, but the impact is indirect and mostly sentiment-driven. 5 Best Stocks to Buy Following Federal Reserve Pivot Expectations

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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