Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas Boosts Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas grew its stake in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 116.7% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 9,311 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,014 shares during the period. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas’ holdings in Caterpillar were worth $6,596,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Caterpillar in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 220.0% during the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Monetary Solutions Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Caterpillar Stock Down 7.0%

CAT opened at $782.32 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $360.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.94, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.57. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $926.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $810.15. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52 week low of $405.46 and a 52 week high of $1,073.46. 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 (NYSE:CAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.25 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This is a positive change from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is currently 32.45%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on CAT. Daiwa Securities Group raised their price target on Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $900.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $900.00 price target (down from $1,200.00) on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $966.29.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar announced an investment of up to $10 million in Illinois as part of its five-year, $100 million workforce initiative. The program will support training and recruitment for manufacturing and industrial technician jobs, potentially strengthening the company’s long-term labor pipeline. Caterpillar Invests in the Future of Manufacturing Talent in Illinois
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and market commentators remain constructive ahead of Caterpillar’s upcoming earnings report. Zacks upgraded the stock to a Rank #2, citing improving earnings prospects and the potential for an earnings beat. What Makes Caterpillar a New Buy Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar is scheduled to be among next week’s closely watched earnings reports. Investors will focus on order trends, demand, margins, tariffs and whether data-center-related generator sales can offset broader concerns. The Week Ahead: Jobs Data, Top 10 Earnings Reports to Watch
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights Caterpillar’s exposure to technology companies building artificial-intelligence data centers, where its generators can provide backup power and speed construction timelines. Satya Nadella’s Microsoft Needs Power. Joe Creed’s Caterpillar Sells It.
• Negative Sentiment: Baird downgraded CAT to Hold from Buy and cut its price target by $300 to $900. Analyst Mig Dobre cited growing public and political backlash against data-center construction, raising concerns about the durability of AI-related demand that has helped support the stock’s rally. Caterpillar Is Downgraded on Growing Data Center Buildout Backlash
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns are amplifying the downgrade. Commentary noted that Caterpillar trades at a substantial premium to its historical valuation, leaving less room for disappointment if growth expectations or data-center spending cool. Caterpillar Trades at Three Times Its Historical Multiple
• Negative Sentiment: Additional risks include possible supply-chain pressure from China’s rare-earth export restrictions, which could raise costs or complicate sourcing of components used in advanced equipment. Caterpillar Faces Rare Earth Squeeze

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In related news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.80, for a total transaction of $14,928,254.40. Following the sale, the insider owned 46,041 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,210,388.80. This trade represents a 26.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total value of $11,444,205.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 49,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $45,236,615.75. This trade represents a 20.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.