Sanford C. Bernstein Raises Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Price Target to $769.00

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) had its price objective hoisted by investment analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from $678.00 to $769.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has a “market perform” rating on the industrial products company’s stock. Sanford C. Bernstein’s price target would suggest a potential downside of 1.61% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on CAT. Robert W. Baird set a $805.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $625.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Raymond James Financial restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $741.68.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Caterpillar stock opened at $781.60 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $721.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $619.87. Caterpillar has a fifty-two week low of $279.80 and a fifty-two week high of $789.81. The stock has a market cap of $363.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.60, a PEG ratio of 1.69 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) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.Caterpillar’s quarterly revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $5.14 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Caterpillar will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $718.93, for a total transaction of $1,797,325.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 35,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,222,221.19. This represents a 6.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 2,278 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was 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 $1,096,117.23. This trade represents a 61.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 125,950 shares of company stock worth $88,577,390 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Caterpillar

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Advisory Resource Group increased its stake in Caterpillar by 0.8% during 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 in the last quarter. Invst LLC increased its stake in Caterpillar by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Invst LLC now owns 753 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $431,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Plancorp LLC grew its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Plancorp LLC now owns 2,777 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,591,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Caterpillar by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $683,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KDT Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. KDT Advisors LLC now owns 657 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $376,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record sales, strong recent earnings and upward price momentum are drawing investor attention and prompting re‑rating discussions. Assessing Caterpillar (CAT) Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and research notes point to AI/data‑center driven generator demand and a multibillion‑dollar backlog supporting continued upside in equipment and power segments. Caterpillar: AI-Driven Power Demand
• Positive Sentiment: The board maintained the quarterly cash dividend at $1.51 per share, preserving yield and cash‑return credibility for income‑oriented holders. Caterpillar Inc. Maintains Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Broad market strength (Dow rally) helped amplify gains in large industrials including CAT. Sherwin-Williams, Caterpillar Lead Dow Surge
• Neutral Sentiment: CFO Andrew Bonfield will retire Oct. 1; internal veteran Kyle Epley is named CFO effective May 1, limiting transition risk but prompting monitoring through the handover. Caterpillar Elects New Chief Financial Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: Street models and sell‑side notes are being updated ahead of next quarterly report; some firms nudged EPS estimates modestly higher while others flag margin sensitivity. Here’s What to Expect From Caterpillar’s Next Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Large reported insider selling over recent months (numerous executive sales) is a market concern for sentiment even though some buys are small. Quiver Quant: CAT Opinions & Insider Activity
• Negative Sentiment: New patent litigation with Bobcat creates legal and expense uncertainty that could be a headline risk if escalated. Caterpillar, Bobcat Sue Each Other
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation questions after a very large multi‑month run (high P/E and elevated price targets dispersion) keep some investors cautious about buying at current levels. Is It Too Late To Consider Caterpillar?

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.