Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Lowers Stock Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group cut its stake in Caterpillar by 8.5% in Q4, selling 125,872 shares and now holds 1,352,474 shares (about 0.29%) valued at $774.8 million.
• Caterpillar beat expectations with Q4 EPS of $5.16 (vs. $4.67 est.) and revenue of $19.13B (vs. $17.81B), and announced a quarterly dividend of $1.51 ($6.04 annualized; 0.8% yield).
• Analysts are cautiously positive with a consensus "Moderate Buy" and a $741.68 price target, though concerns remain over high valuation and cyclical exposure.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lowered its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 8.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,352,474 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 125,872 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned about 0.29% of Caterpillar worth $774,792,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 7.3% during the third quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 17,262 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $8,237,000 after acquiring an additional 1,181 shares in the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 155.9% during the third quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 47,231 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $21,014,000 after acquiring an additional 28,773 shares in the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the third quarter valued at $8,893,000. ZEGA Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 149.6% during the third quarter. ZEGA Investments LLC now owns 4,184 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,996,000 after acquiring an additional 2,508 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 2.5% during the third quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 165,677 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $79,053,000 after acquiring an additional 4,010 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar named veteran finance executive Kyle Epley as incoming CFO (effective May 1), an internal succession that reduces transition risk and preserves continuity in financial strategy. Caterpillar Names Veteran Executive Kyle Epley as CFO
• Positive Sentiment: Company messaging and coverage highlight record quarterly and full‑year results and a strong backlog — supporting revenue/earnings momentum that underpins the stock move. Caterpillar CFO Change Highlights Record Results And Valuation Questions
• Positive Sentiment: Earlier dividend action prompted a sharp intraday rally (reports showed a ~6.5% move after the announcement), underscoring management’s shareholder‑friendly posture. Caterpillar NYSE: CAT Trading Up 6.5% After Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts (Zacks and others) nudged up near‑term EPS forecasts and reiterated longer‑term upside cases, which supports estimates and reduces uncertainty around upcoming quarters. Why Caterpillar (CAT) is a Top Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile bullish commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) has amplified investor interest and momentum in the shares. Jim Cramer Believes “CAT Is One of the Most Viable Stocks”
• Neutral Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein raised its price target to $769 but kept a "market perform" rating — a mixed signal: higher PT but no upgrade to outperform. Bernstein adjusts price target on Caterpillar to $769
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and cyclicality remain risks: coverage notes high valuation metrics (elevated P/E) and dependence on metals/mining and energy cycles — a sharp downturn in those end markets could hit demand and the share price. Caterpillar CFO Change Highlights Record Results And Valuation Questions

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on CAT shares. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $677.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Raymond James Financial restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Robert W. Baird set a $805.00 price target on Caterpillar in a report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup raised their price target on Caterpillar from $760.00 to $785.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $741.68.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $720.11, for a total transaction of $16,314,812.16. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares in the company, valued at $57,574,954.83. The trade was a 22.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 972 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $764.20, for a total value of $742,802.40. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 824 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $629,700.80. This represents a 54.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 125,950 shares of company stock worth $88,577,390. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Caterpillar Price Performance

NYSE CAT opened at $790.60 on Friday. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $282.46 and a one year high of $797.85. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $726.61 and a 200 day moving average of $624.31. The company has a market capitalization of $367.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.01, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.44.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The company had revenue of $19.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.14 EPS. Caterpillar's revenue for the quarter was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, 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. Investors of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a $1.51 dividend. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.09%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.