Erste Asset Management GmbH Boosts Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Erste Asset Management GmbH grew its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 32.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 136,421 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 33,634 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $64,336,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CAT. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in Caterpillar by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,418,321 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,656,286,000 after purchasing an additional 208,196 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,165,899,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 20.7% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,553,930 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,695,757,000 after buying an additional 609,023 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 1.0% during the 2nd 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 acquiring an additional 33,467 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,282,720 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,274,385,000 after acquiring an additional 140,784 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Caterpillar Trading Down 1.8%

NYSE:CAT opened at $752.81 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $664.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $561.23. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $267.30 and a one year high of $789.81. The firm has a market cap of $350.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.44.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. The company had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 45.76%. Caterpillar’s revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $5.14 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 20th were paid a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is 32.09%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on CAT. Wolfe Research increased their target price on Caterpillar from $470.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Robert W. Baird set a $805.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $740.00 to $765.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, HSBC lifted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $660.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $712.52.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 2,278 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $759.61, for a total value of $1,730,391.58. Following the transaction, the insider owned 1,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,096,117.23. The trade was a 61.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 Wednesday, December 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $575.06, for a total transaction of $5,750,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 45,460 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,142,227.60. The trade was a 18.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 143,450 shares of company stock valued at $98,245,065 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major analyst upgrades and price‑target hikes — Wells Fargo raised its target to $870 (overweight) and Daiwa lifted its target to $790, giving fresh buy‑side ammunition and supporting upside expectations. Wells Fargo price target hike
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile media and TV endorsements (Jim Cramer commentary) are adding retail/institutional attention and positive sentiment toward CAT’s machinery exposure. Jim Cramer on Caterpillar
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic corporate moves — Caterpillar acquired RPMGlobal (mining software) and its venture arm backed ElevenEs, signaling expansion into software/tech and commodity‑linked solutions that can lift long‑term services and recurring revenue. Caterpillar acquires RPMGlobal ElevenEs Series B backed by Caterpillar Venture Capital
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/market reports point to strong multi‑year demand for mining trucks, tunneling and rock‑drilling equipment (electrification, autonomy, infrastructure), which is a tailwind but not an immediate earnings surprise. Mining Truck Market Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Company PR events (Global Technician Finals) and product/service improvements (rental management redesign) help branding and aftermarket services but are gradual catalysts. Global Technician Finals
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: a senior employee sold ~2,278 shares recently (disclosed), which can be perceived as profit‑taking by insiders and adds psychological pressure on the stock. Insider sale disclosure
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest jumped roughly 61% in February — increased shorting raises near‑term volatility and suggests some market participants are positioning for a pullback. (Internal short‑interest data)
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is extended after a big rally (PE ~40 and ~124% Y/Y gain); several articles warn CAT now trades at a premium, increasing sensitivity to any slowdown in orders, margins or macro headwinds. Valuation assessment

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.