Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) Short Interest Update

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) saw a significant drop in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 5,608,881 shares, a drop of 21.3% from the December 15th total of 7,123,267 shares. Currently, 1.2% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 2,237,144 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days. Based on an average daily volume of 2,237,144 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days. Currently, 1.2% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on CAT to $708 and kept a “buy” rating — a meaningful bullish signal from a major shop that can attract flows and support the share price. MarketScreener
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan analyst told investors CAT shares are expected to rise, adding institutional conviction to the bullish case and potentially supporting buying interest. Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Stock Price Expected to Rise
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar announced a partnership with NVIDIA to develop foundations for autonomous systems — this accelerates higher-margin, software-enabled product opportunities (autonomy, telematics) over time. Caterpillar partners with NVIDIA
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein highlighted CAT as a potential winner if data centers shift to on-site power generation — a new end market for power systems could boost equipment and power solutions demand. Caterpillar is potential winner if data centers move power generation on-site
• Positive Sentiment: Articles emphasizing CAT’s ~30% payout ratio argue its dividend is well-covered and likely sustainable through downturns — supportive for income-focused investors. Caterpillar’s 30% Payout Ratio Shows Why Its Dividend Can Survive the Next Recession
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar set its Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings release for Jan. 29 — this is the next key event risk/opportunity that will likely drive short-term volatility. Caterpillar Inc. to Announce Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results on January 29
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlights industrial stocks that could beat earnings using its Earnings ESP screen — a potential catalyst if CAT is included, but specifics/odds are unclear. These 2 Industrial Products Stocks Could Beat Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Caterpillar is contesting a patent complaint from Bobcat and the trade commission will investigate — pending legal/ITC outcomes create downside risk and potential remedy costs or product restrictions. Caterpillar Fights Bobcat Patent Complaint; Trade Commission to Investigate

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $560.00 target price for the company. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $729.00 target price (up previously from $582.00) on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. HSBC raised shares of Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $405.00 to $660.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $485.00 to $555.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $623.10.

Caterpillar Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE CAT traded down $0.23 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $646.95. The company had a trading volume of 2,551,406 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,022,061. Caterpillar has a 1-year low of $267.30 and a 1-year high of $655.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $586.90 and its 200-day moving average is $502.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $302.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.57.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The industrial products company reported $4.95 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.52 by $0.43. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.34% and a return on equity of 47.16%. The firm had revenue of $17.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.72 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $5.17 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Caterpillar will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be given a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is 31.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 1,200 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $572.22, for a total value of $686,664.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,323 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $757,047.06. The trade was a 47.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 14,638 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $562.36, for a total transaction of $8,231,825.68. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 80,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $45,106,333.24. This represents a 15.43% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 54,729 shares of company stock worth $31,084,308 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. KWB Wealth raised its stake in Caterpillar by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. KWB Wealth now owns 549 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $315,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 3,362 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,926,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the period. WealthShield Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Caterpillar by 1.6% in the third quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC now owns 1,122 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $535,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 47.4% in the fourth quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Finally, one8zero8 LLC grew its position in Caterpillar by 3.2% during the third quarter. one8zero8 LLC now owns 619 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $295,000 after buying an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.