Westpac Banking Corp bought a new position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT – Free Report) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 4,802 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,114,000.
Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of CAT. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC raised its stake in Caterpillar by 0.7% during the second quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,635 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,741,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Inspirion Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Inspirion Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 944 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $936,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Bell Bank grew its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Bell Bank now owns 1,865 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,986,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Caterpillar by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC now owns 1,818 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,288,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Resource Group increased its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities analysts have commented on CAT shares. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. DA Davidson lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $845.00 to $882.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Caterpillar from $1,050.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,103.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $925.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $995.52.
Insider Activity at Caterpillar
In other news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total transaction of $26,211,760.98. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 34,555 shares in the company, valued at $27,954,303.90. The trade was a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.
Caterpillar Trading Up 0.8%
Shares of NYSE CAT opened at $798.29 on Friday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $414.29 and a 1-year high of $1,073.46. The company has a 50-day moving average of $876.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $838.63. The company has a market cap of $366.95 billion, a PE ratio of 34.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65.
Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $1.95. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.51% and a return on equity of 55.53%. The business had revenue of $20.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.34 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.72 earnings per share. Caterpillar’s revenue was up 23.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Caterpillar Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th were given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 20th. This is a positive change from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is 28.06%.
Key Headlines Impacting Caterpillar
Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: AI and robotics expansion: Caterpillar is collaborating with FieldAI, using physical AI, autonomy, robotics, digital twins and NVIDIA technology to improve safety, productivity and decision-making at construction sites and factories. The initiative could support higher-margin technology and services revenue over time. Caterpillar and FieldAI Advance AI-Powered Industrial Innovation
- Positive Sentiment: Data-center power demand remains a growth driver: Caterpillar’s Power & Energy business is benefiting from rising electricity needs tied to data centers and artificial-intelligence infrastructure. Retail sales to power-generation users reportedly surged 72% year over year in the second quarter, strengthening the long-term growth narrative. Can CAT Stock Compound Its Way Higher?
- Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings forecast: Erste Group Bank raised its fiscal 2026 EPS estimate to $27.50 from $24.78, modestly above consensus. Caterpillar’s latest quarter also showed strong momentum, with EPS of $8.17 and revenue of $20.54 billion exceeding estimates. Caterpillar FY2026 EPS Forecast Raised by Erste Group Bank
- Neutral Sentiment: Pullback creates a valuation debate: Analysts describe the recent decline as potentially attractive, but Caterpillar still trades at a relatively elevated earnings multiple. Investors are assessing whether expected AI, power-generation and industrial growth is already reflected in the share price. That Dip in Caterpillar Stock Looks Tempting, But Don’t Ignore the Catch
- Negative Sentiment: CEO insider sale adds pressure: Chief Executive Joseph Creed sold 32,401 shares for approximately $26.2 million, reducing his holdings by 48.39%. The transaction may weigh on sentiment, although it does not necessarily indicate deteriorating business prospects. SEC Insider Transaction Filing
- Negative Sentiment: Post-earnings weakness and technical concerns: CAT’s decline since earnings suggests investors may be taking profits after the strong report, while the stock remains below its recent moving averages. A trader has also argued that the shares may be ready to be “faded,” reinforcing near-term caution. Time to Start Fading Caterpillar Stock
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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Caterpillar
- The Path to $230 Billion: Broadcom Outlines the Next Phase of Its AI Growth Story
- NVIDIA’s Hugging Face Deal Raises a Bigger Question About Its AI Moat Now
- Dropping the Dough: Yum! Brands Strategically Trims the Fat
- These 3 Stock Charts Just Flashed the Dreaded Death Cross Pattern
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT – Free Report).
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.
