Empowered Funds LLC Has $53.33 Million Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 54.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 75,281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 26,579 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $53,334,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,385,185 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,572,681,000 after acquiring an additional 442,164 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,388,550 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $20,273,039,000 after purchasing an additional 385,204 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,610,182 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,072,572,000 after purchasing an additional 94,524 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,493,266 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $5,438,408,000 after purchasing an additional 54,069 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 16.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,738,802 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,860,457,000 after purchasing an additional 928,974 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Caterpillar Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE CAT opened at $873.54 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $929.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $807.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.35. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $405.46 and a 52-week high of $1,073.46. The company has a market capitalization of $402.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.57.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The company had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.25 earnings per share. Caterpillar’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. This is a boost from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.45%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In related news, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total value of $14,399,860.54. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $48,631,913.85. The trade was a 22.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $922.92, for a total value of $22,354,968.24. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 86,029 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,397,884.68. This trade represents a 21.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar’s stock has approximately doubled over the past year. Investors have been encouraged by strong operating momentum and expectations that demand from data-center construction and related infrastructure spending could support future equipment sales. Caterpillar Stock Is Up 100% in a Year
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s most recent earnings report provided a fundamental backdrop for the rally: Caterpillar exceeded analysts’ quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, while revenue increased 22.2% year over year. This suggests strong demand and operating leverage, although investors may now require continued earnings growth to justify the elevated share price.
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar has become a highly watched or “trending” stock on Zacks, increasing visibility among investors. However, heightened attention can contribute to greater trading volatility and does not itself change the company’s earnings outlook. Caterpillar Is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank AG downgraded Caterpillar from “buy” to “hold.” The change likely reflects caution after the substantial run-up, with investors potentially reassessing risk-reward prospects at a historically high valuation. Finviz Caterpillar Listing
• Negative Sentiment: Investor Michael Burry’s reported short position in Caterpillar benefited during the July pullback, highlighting the presence of bearish positioning. The stock’s roughly 100% annual gain, elevated price-to-earnings ratio and recent decline make profit-taking and volatility risks more significant. Michael Burry’s Short Bets on Caterpillar

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on CAT shares. HSBC increased their price target on Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Argus increased their target price on Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $1,165.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $980.57.

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.