Teacher Retirement System of Texas Purchases 15,119 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its stake in Caterpillar by 9.7%, buying 15,119 shares to hold 170,618 shares valued at about $97.74 million at the end of the reporting period.
• Caterpillar beat quarterly expectations, reporting $5.16 EPS versus $4.67 expected and $19.13 billion in revenue (up 17.9% YoY), and announced a $1.51 quarterly dividend (ex‑dividend Apr 20, payable May 19; $6.04 annualized).
• Analyst sentiment is largely positive (consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $761.64 and several price-target increases, e.g., Truist to $920), though elevated valuations after a strong rally and recent insider selling have drawn caution.

Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 9.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 170,618 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 15,119 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas' holdings in Caterpillar were worth $97,742,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Marquette Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Caterpillar by 1,060.0% during the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 58 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in Caterpillar during the third quarter worth $32,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Caterpillar by 47.4% during the fourth quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Noble Wealth Management PBC raised its stake in Caterpillar by 140.0% during the fourth quarter. Noble Wealth Management PBC now owns 60 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $805.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Friday, January 30th. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $786.00 to $920.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $625.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $425.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Caterpillar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $761.64.

Caterpillar Stock Up 1.1%

Caterpillar stock opened at $808.96 on Thursday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $295.18 and a 1-year high of $820.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $376.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.52. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $738.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $641.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity 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 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.67 by $0.49. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 45.76%. The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $5.14 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 22.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a $1.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio is currently 32.09%.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target (to ~$960) and kept an Overweight/Buy view, citing AI/data‑center demand for heavy equipment as a catalyst — a major bullish input for investors. Caterpillar Stock Can Gain 20%, Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar named a longtime executive as its new CFO — a management change that markets often view positively when it preserves continuity and signals steady execution. Industry Roundup: Caterpillar Names Longtime Executive as New CFO
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar reiterated its quarterly dividend ($1.51 per share) and emphasized commitment to shareholder value amid the management change — supports income investor confidence. Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) Asserts Commitment to Shareholder Value Amid Management Change
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic M&A: Caterpillar acquired a California self‑driving tractor startup — enhances automation/robotics capabilities and long‑term product mix optionality. Caterpillar acquires Californian self-driving tractor startup
• Positive Sentiment: Partnerships: Cat partnered with Geotab to provide a fuller fleet telematics view — strengthens recurring‑revenue services and data monetization opportunities. Caterpillar Partners with Geotab on Full Fleet Telematics
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Truist and other analysts have published bullish notes suggesting further upside — adds sell‑side momentum behind the rally. Caterpillar NYSE: CAT Stock Price Expected to Rise, Truist Financial Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Price action update: Reports note CAT rose in the latest session and continues to trade near its 52‑week highs — confirms strength but is descriptive rather than causal. Caterpillar (CAT) Stock Moves 1.05%: What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Speculative upside narratives (e.g., $1,000 target) are circulating as market participants extrapolate AI/data‑center demand into CAT’s addressable market — bullish but speculative. Is Caterpillar stock headed for $1,000 after soaring 170% in a year
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concern: Commentary asks whether investors are “too late” after a sharp rally (strong YTD and 1‑year gains), highlighting elevated valuation and higher downside risk if macro or end‑market demand softens. Is It Too Late To Consider Caterpillar (CAT) After Its Strong Share Price Rally?

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 972 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 824 shares in the company, valued at $629,700.80. This represents a 54.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 2,278 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the insider owned 1,443 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,096,117.23. This represents a 61.22% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 125,950 shares of company stock valued at $88,577,390 over the last 90 days. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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