Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Decreases Stake in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Key Points

• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans trimmed its Caterpillar stake by 5.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 33,324 shares and leaving it with 557,202 shares valued at about $319.3 million.
• Insiders have been selling shares, including CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield and CAO William E. Schaupp, with insiders disposing of 90,682 shares worth $81.8 million over the last 90 days.
• Caterpillar’s fundamentals and analyst outlook remain strong: the company beat Q1 earnings and revenue estimates, raised its quarterly dividend to $1.51 per share, and analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with a consensus target of $923.14.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lessened its holdings in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 5.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 557,202 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 33,324 shares during the period. Caterpillar makes up approximately 0.6% of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned 0.12% of Caterpillar worth $319,295,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of CAT. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Caterpillar by 47.4% in the fourth quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Noble Wealth Management PBC raised its position in Caterpillar by 140.0% in the fourth quarter. Noble Wealth Management PBC now owns 60 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sellwood Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the third quarter worth $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 360 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief accounting officer owned 530 shares in the company, valued at $480,180. This trade represents a 40.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total value of $14,399,860.54. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 52,935 shares in the company, valued at $48,631,913.85. This trade represents a 22.85% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 90,682 shares of company stock valued at $81,815,568. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price objective on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $677.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Wall Street Zen raised Caterpillar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $923.14.

Caterpillar Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CAT opened at $918.99 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $772.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $678.58. The stock has a market cap of $423.28 billion, a PE ratio of 45.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.35. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $336.24 and a one year high of $931.35.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. The firm had revenue of $17.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.53 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.Caterpillar's quarterly revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.25 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. 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 (DPR) is 30.06%.

More Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its price target on Caterpillar to $950 from $700, even while keeping a neutral rating, suggesting the stock’s recent rally may still have room to run. Rothschild & Co Redburn price target update
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer reiterated a bullish view on Caterpillar, calling it a buy and pointing to oil and gas, infrastructure, and AI data-center power demand as key tailwinds. Jim Cramer Says Caterpillar Is a Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighted Caterpillar’s role in Saudi Arabia’s construction equipment market, which is expected to grow steadily on the back of Vision 2030 infrastructure spending. Saudi Arabia Construction Equipment Industry Research 2026-2031 Featuring Caterpillar
• Neutral Sentiment: Two Caterpillar insiders disclosed stock sales, including a larger sale by Denise C. Johnson and a smaller sale by William E. Schaupp. While not unusual, insider selling can create some caution. Denise C. Johnson insider trade filing
• Negative Sentiment: Anthony Fassino also sold a notable block of shares earlier in the week, which may be viewed as a mild negative signal despite his remaining ownership stake. Anthony Fassino Sells 16,283 Shares of Caterpillar NYSE: CAT Stock

About Caterpillar

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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