Sterling Capital Management LLC Acquires 2,383 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Sterling Capital Management increased its Caterpillar stake by 41.6% in the first quarter, buying 2,383 additional shares and bringing its total to 8,111 shares valued at about $5.75 million.
• Wall Street sentiment is mostly positive, with several analysts lifting price targets and Caterpillar carrying a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a target price of $941.45.
• Caterpillar recently reported strong quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.63 per share from $1.51.

Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 41.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,111 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 2,383 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $5,746,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Caterpillar by 220.0% in the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 47.4% during the 4th quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CAT has been the subject of several analyst reports. 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 report on Thursday, May 14th. Argus upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. HSBC increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Finally, Williams Trading set a $825.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $941.45.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.80, for a total transaction of $14,928,254.40. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 46,041 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,210,388.80. This represents a 26.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were 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 directly owned 86,029 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $79,397,884.68. The trade was a 21.97% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target on Caterpillar to $1,200 from $1,165 and reiterated an outperform rating, signaling continued upside confidence. MarketScreener
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar’s earnings backdrop remains strong: the company recently beat estimates with higher-than-expected revenue and EPS, supported by robust demand and a record backlog theme that has helped the stock outperform this year.
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar Foundation announced a $2.5 million initiative tied to America’s 250th anniversary, which is positive for corporate image but likely limited direct impact on shares. Caterpillar Foundation Announces $2.5 Million Initiative in Celebration of America's 250th Anniversary
• Negative Sentiment: Investor sentiment is being weighed down by margin pressure: a Zacks note said Q1 2026 operating margin slipped to 18% as tariff-related costs rose, and management expects $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion of tariff impact for 2026. Caterpillar's Operating Margins Remain Under Pressure: Rebound Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Broad market coverage said Caterpillar was one of the main drags on the Dow in Friday trading, suggesting weakness in the stock was large enough to influence the index. Nasdaq Rises. Caterpillar and Goldman Are Dragging on the Dow.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent economic data showed advance trade in goods falling in May, which can be read as a softer trade backdrop for industrial-demand names like Caterpillar. Advance Trade in Goods fall in May

Caterpillar Price Performance

Shares of Caterpillar stock opened at $996.73 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $459.08 billion, a PE ratio of 49.61, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.59. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $897.41 and a 200 day moving average of $755.09. 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 $382.75 and a 12 month high of $1,057.07.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The business had revenue of $17.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.25 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

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

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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