Smith Salley Wealth Management Increases Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Smith Salley Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 16.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,263 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,204 shares during the period. Smith Salley Wealth Management’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $7,283,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of CAT. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 2.3% in the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,418,321 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,656,286,000 after buying an additional 208,196 shares in the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 36,842.1% in the 2nd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,299,751 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,833,836,000 after acquiring an additional 7,279,991 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,165,899,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 6.7% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 4,204,445 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,386,626,000 after purchasing an additional 264,054 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Caterpillar by 1.0% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,337,915 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,295,432,000 after purchasing an additional 33,467 shares during the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Caterpillar Price Performance

Shares of Caterpillar stock opened at $577.64 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.38. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $267.30 and a one year high of $627.50. The stock has a market cap 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. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $570.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $481.44.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The industrial products company reported $4.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.52 by $0.43. The business had revenue of $17.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.72 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 47.16% and a net margin of 14.34%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.17 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be paid a $1.51 dividend. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 8,184 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $570.18, for a total transaction of $4,666,353.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 41,512 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,669,312.16. The trade was a 16.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was 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. This trade represents a 15.28% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 61,895 shares of company stock valued at $34,007,516. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

More Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets report that surging demand for generators — especially for data centers and AI infrastructure — is driving a meaningful uptick in Caterpillar’s non-construction sales and boosting investor expectations for revenue and margin expansion. Caterpillar’s stock jumps as AI drives demand for generators
• Positive Sentiment: WSJ coverage highlights that generator sales are the company’s fastest‑growing segment, helping re-shape Caterpillar’s growth story beyond traditional yellow equipment and supporting a higher multiple. Caterpillar’s Surging Stock Is Fueled by AI, Not Yellow Excavators
• Positive Sentiment: Pymnts reports that data‑center generator demand in particular is fueling a sales surge, suggesting a durable revenue stream tied to long‑term AI infrastructure buildout rather than a one‑off cyclical bump. Caterpillar’s Data Center Generators Fuel Sale Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Market recognition: coverage and an on‑camera analyst segment note that Caterpillar has become the Dow’s best performer this year, reflecting the market re‑rating the stock for faster growth expectations. Caterpillar becomes the Dow’s best performer this year
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan equity research commentary (video interview) underscores investor interest and analyst attention as the company transitions into a growth narrative — supportive for sentiment and liquidity. Caterpillar becomes the Dow’s best performer this year (video)
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights Caterpillar as a potential beneficiary of reshoring trends, which could support equipment demand in 2026 and beyond. 3 Manufacturing Stocks to Benefit From Reshoring in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Product update: Caterpillar introduced a Track Clamp Master Link to simplify excavator track installation — incremental operational/aftermarket improvement but limited near‑term impact on top‑line. Cat’s New Track Clamp Master Link Eases Excavator Track Installation
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate milestone: coverage of Caterpillar’s 100‑year anniversary is positive PR but unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Celebrating 100 years and the people behind Caterpillar machines
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation caution: analysis pieces ask whether it’s too late to buy after a >100% rally, flagging elevated multiples and the risk that much of the AI/data‑center opportunity is already priced in — a key reason for profit‑taking or short‑term weakness. Is it too late to buy Caterpillar after its bullish 2025 run?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on CAT. Oppenheimer raised their price target on Caterpillar from $513.00 to $645.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $557.00 to $630.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $612.00 to $680.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Argus lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $460.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Hsbc Global Res upgraded Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $616.00.

Caterpillar Company 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.