Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) Stock Has Consensus Price Target of $967.83

Shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-seven ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and fifteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $967.83.

Several brokerages recently weighed in on CAT. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Caterpillar from $1,225.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. Needham & Company LLC set a $980.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Thursday, September 10th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $900.00 to $925.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird set a $970.00 price target on Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Caterpillar from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Caterpillar

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In related news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The shares were 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 directly owned 34,555 shares in the company, valued at $27,954,303.90. This represents a 48.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $40,457,153,000. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 4.0% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,276,960 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,120,529,000 after buying an additional 1,396,356 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth $5,818,150,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the second quarter worth about $3,192,710,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,783,451,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Caterpillar to deliver year-over-year earnings growth in its upcoming third-quarter report. The company’s positive Earnings ESP and favorable estimate revisions suggest potential for an earnings beat, supported by manufacturing strength and demand for industrial equipment. Caterpillar Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
  • Positive Sentiment: Technical and fundamental indicators are encouraging some investors to view the recent decline as a buying opportunity. A hammer chart pattern points to possible support, while upward earnings-estimate revisions could help drive a near-term recovery. Bears Are Losing Control Over Caterpillar
  • Positive Sentiment: Zacks lists Caterpillar among industrial companies with the potential to outperform third-quarter earnings expectations, reflecting continued confidence in the sector’s demand environment. Industrial Stocks Set to Outshine Q3 Earnings Estimates
  • Neutral Sentiment: The key catalyst is Caterpillar’s forthcoming quarterly report. Investors will focus on whether earnings growth, revenue momentum and management’s outlook validate the optimistic estimates. The company’s previous quarter featured a substantial earnings and revenue beat, providing a supportive comparison.
  • Negative Sentiment: The recent selloff has materially weakened CAT’s momentum and caused it to underperform the S&P 500, with much of the decline concentrated in only a few trading sessions. Continued investor caution, profit-taking or disappointment in the upcoming report could keep pressure on the shares. Caterpillar Just Dropped 10% in a Month

Caterpillar Price Performance

CAT opened at $686.52 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $315.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.56, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.58. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $798.82 and a 200 day moving average of $855.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.37. Caterpillar has a fifty-two week low of $521.02 and a fifty-two week high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.34 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.72 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 23.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Caterpillar will post 27.74 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 26th will be given a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 26th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is presently 28.06%.

About Caterpillar

(Get Free Report)

Caterpillar Inc is a manufacturer of construction, mining, and industrial equipment. Its product portfolio includes excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, motor graders, articulated trucks, and other machinery used in construction, infrastructure development, mining, quarrying, forestry, and related industries. The company also produces diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, generator sets, and other power-generation and transportation equipment.

Caterpillar operates through businesses focused on construction industries, resource industries, and energy and transportation.

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Analyst Recommendations for Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT)

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