Eads & Heald Wealth Management Sells 1,261 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Eads & Heald Wealth Management cut its stake in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 23.8% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 4,039 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,261 shares during the quarter. Caterpillar makes up about 1.4% of Eads & Heald Wealth Management’s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Eads & Heald Wealth Management’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $2,861,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of CAT. Advisory Resource Group grew its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Advisory Resource Group now owns 1,632 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $935,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the period. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 1.1% during the first quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC now owns 1,164 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $825,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC raised its position in Caterpillar by 2.6% in the first quarter. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC now owns 506 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $358,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the period. Sylvest Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Sylvest Advisors LLC now owns 377 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $267,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invst LLC increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Invst LLC now owns 753 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $431,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total transaction of $14,399,860.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,935 shares in the company, valued at $48,631,913.85. This trade represents a 22.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total transaction of $11,444,205.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 49,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $45,236,615.75. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Stock Down 3.0%

Shares of CAT stock opened at $940.64 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $433.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.82, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.57. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $923.21 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $775.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52 week low of $391.52 and a 52 week high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The firm had revenue of $17.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.06%.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar announced it acquired Skycatch, a provider of spatial data capture and AI tools for mining, expanding its mining technology platform after the recent RPMGlobal deal. The move should strengthen Caterpillar’s data-driven offerings and support future growth in mining solutions. Caterpillar expands mining technology capabilities with Skycatch acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Caterpillar’s strong earnings surprise history and said the company looks positioned to beat estimates again, which can help support investor confidence in the stock. Why Caterpillar (CAT) is Poised to Beat Earnings Estimates Again
• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target on Caterpillar and kept a Buy rating, signaling continued Wall Street optimism around the company’s earnings and valuation. Truist Remains Bullish on Caterpillar Inc. (CAT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple articles compared Caterpillar with Terex on valuation, but this is more of a stock-screening discussion than a direct catalyst for CAT shares. TEX vs. CAT: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the acquisition being strategically positive, the market appears to be reacting cautiously and selling the stock on the announcement, suggesting investors are focusing on near-term deal concerns or broader profit-taking. Caterpillar Acquires Skycatch to Expand Mining Technology Capabilities

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,103.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Monday, May 11th. Williams Trading set a $825.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Finally, Wolfe Research upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $949.41.

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.