Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $960.00 to $1,050.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the industrial products company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target points to a potential upside of 16.86% from the company’s current price.
Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. Barclays set a $800.00 price objective on Caterpillar in a research note on Friday. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $677.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Wolfe Research boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Williams Trading set a $825.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $569.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $849.27.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on CAT
Caterpillar Stock Up 0.9%
Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The firm had revenue of $17.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.25 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Caterpillar will post 22.89 EPS for the current year.
Insider Activity
In other news, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of Caterpillar 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 sale, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $57,574,954.83. The trade was a 22.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $718.93, for a total value of $1,797,325.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 35,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,222,221.19. This trade represents a 6.65% 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 worth $88,577,390 over the last three months. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CAT. Pacific Point Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $579,000. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 51.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 7,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,688,000 after acquiring an additional 2,519 shares during the last quarter. United Bank grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 108.5% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 4,083 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,125 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,147 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,551,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its position in shares of Caterpillar by 6.5% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 572,165 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $222,120,000 after purchasing an additional 34,846 shares during the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key Headlines Impacting Caterpillar
Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and raise — Caterpillar reported stronger-than-expected Q1 results (adj. EPS $5.54; revenue $17.4B, +22% y/y), deployed $5.7B to buybacks/dividends, and lifted its annual/long-term revenue outlook, giving investors confidence in near-term growth and cash returns. Caterpillar Reports First-Quarter 2026 Results
- Positive Sentiment: AI-driven power demand — Management and reporters highlight a boom in demand for power and energy equipment tied to AI/data-center buildouts, which is expanding Caterpillar’s addressable market for generators and power systems and underpins the raised outlook. Caterpillar expects AI-driven demand for power, construction to fuel growth
- Positive Sentiment: Record backlog and sector leadership — Reports note a record backlog in power and construction segments, helping drive the stock to all-time highs as investors price in sustained revenue visibility. Caterpillar stock jumps on record backlog…
- Positive Sentiment: New multi-year power deal — A framework agreement with ProPetro’s PROPWR to supply up to 2.1 GW of power capacity through 2031/2032 expands recurring power equipment demand and strengthens exposure to data-center and industrial power projects. Caterpillar Taps PROPWR And Data Centers For New Power Growth
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — Baird analyst Mig Dobre made CAT a fresh bullish pick and raised his price target to $1,165 (Street-high), adding momentum from the sell-side that can attract further buyer interest. Caterpillar Stock Can Rise Another 30%
- Neutral Sentiment: Market and ETF flows — ETFs and Dow-related flows have amplified CAT’s move after the earnings surprise, raising liquidity and volatility around the stock. ETFs tied to Caterpillar jump…
- Neutral Sentiment: Investor events — Company announced a virtual annual shareholder meeting for June 10; routine corporate governance item with limited near-term price impact. Caterpillar Announces Virtual 2026 Shareholder Meeting
- Negative Sentiment: Tariff pressure — Multiple reports note Caterpillar expects significant tariff costs in 2026; higher input/transport tariffs could weigh on margins and offset some benefits from pricing and volume. Caterpillar expecting significant tariff costs again for 2026
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.
Featured Stories
Receive News & Ratings for Caterpillar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Caterpillar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
