Merit Financial Group LLC Boosts Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Merit Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 33,381 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,742 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $15,928,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CAT. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter worth $2,165,899,000. Groupe la Francaise lifted its position in Caterpillar by 82.0% during the second quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 27,246 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $10,820,000 after buying an additional 12,278 shares during the period. Trivium Point Advisory LLC boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 132.9% in the 2nd quarter. Trivium Point Advisory LLC now owns 1,926 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $748,000 after buying an additional 1,099 shares during the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 155.9% during the 3rd quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 47,231 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $21,014,000 after acquiring an additional 28,773 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 9.9% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 78,947 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,037,000 after acquiring an additional 7,125 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on CAT shares. DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $408.00 to $569.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $476.00 to $630.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 17th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on Caterpillar from $513.00 to $645.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $616.00.

Insider Activity

In other Caterpillar news, Director David Maclennan acquired 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 6th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $568.86 per share, for a total transaction of $170,658.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 7,947 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,520,730.42. This trade represents a 3.92% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $571.44, for a total value of $5,714,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 55,460 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,692,062.40. The trade was a 15.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 61,895 shares of company stock worth $34,007,516 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI/data‑center demand is driving a surge in generator sales, which executives and reporters say is the fastest‑growing segment and a key reason for CAT’s rally. This demand is translating into higher revenue and a re‑rating of the stock. Caterpillar’s Data Center Generators Fuel Sale Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage (WSJ/MSN/Newsbytes) highlights AI as the catalyst behind higher generator orders and investor enthusiasm; several outlets tie recent price strength to this secular shift away from purely construction equipment. Caterpillar’s Surging Stock Is Fueled by AI, Not Yellow Excavators
• Positive Sentiment: Market recognition: CAT has become the Dow’s best performer this year, a sign that momentum and investor positioning are reinforcing the rally. (Includes analyst commentary on the move.) Caterpillar becomes the Dow’s best performer this year
• Positive Sentiment: Product innovation: Caterpillar introduced a Track Clamp Master Link to simplify excavator track installation — minor revenue/aftermarket benefit but supports the company’s product pipeline and aftermarket positioning. Cat’s New Track Clamp Master Link Eases Excavator Track Installation
• Neutral Sentiment: Centennial/brand pieces celebrate CAT’s 100‑year history and workforce; positive for reputation but limited direct near‑term financial impact. Celebrating 100 years and the people behind Caterpillar machines
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/investor debate: pieces question whether the stock is too extended after a >100% rally since April; valuation and mean reversion risks are being discussed even as fundamentals improve. Is it too late to buy Caterpillar after its bullish 2025 run?
• Neutral Sentiment: Reshoring theme: analysts include CAT among manufacturers that could benefit from reshoring trends into 2026, a structural tailwind for equipment demand. 3 Manufacturing Stocks to Benefit From Reshoring in 2026

Caterpillar Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:CAT opened at $577.64 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $570.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $481.44. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $267.30 and a 52-week high of $627.50. 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 company has a market capitalization of $270.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.57.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The industrial products company reported $4.95 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $17.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.72 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $5.17 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be issued a $1.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.01%.

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.