Kestra Advisory Services LLC Acquires 4,183 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 212,347 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,183 shares during the quarter. Caterpillar comprises 0.5% of Kestra Advisory Services LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Kestra Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $172,168,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at $40,457,153,000. State Street Corp grew its position in Caterpillar by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,276,960 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,120,529,000 after purchasing an additional 1,396,356 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth $5,818,150,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter worth about $3,192,710,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,783,451,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on CAT shares. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $897.00 to $722.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 30th. Freedom Broker decreased their target price on Caterpillar from $980.00 to $800.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Zacks Research lowered Caterpillar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Wall Street Zen cut Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, October 31st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $749.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $898.25.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director C Jr acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $620.39 per share, for a total transaction of $620,390.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 4,714 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,924,518.46. The trade was a 26.93% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total value of $26,211,760.98. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,555 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,954,303.90. The trade was a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Stock Down 6.5%

NYSE CAT opened at $552.88 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $765.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $806.58. The company has a market capitalization of $254.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.69, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.65. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $537.08 and a 1-year high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The industrial products company reported $7.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.06 by $0.14. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 59.87% and a net margin of 15.21%. The company had revenue of $20.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.76 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.95 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 26th will be given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 26th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is 25.58%.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar reported strong third-quarter results, with earnings above consensus, year-over-year growth, and a record $78.1 billion backlog. Surging demand for power-generation equipment is supporting capacity expansion, though production and cost pressures may limit the benefit. Article: CAT Shares Fall Despite Q3 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Director James Fish bought 1,000 shares for about $620,000, increasing his stake by nearly 27%. The purchase may signal confidence in the company. Article: Caterpillar director purchases shares
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar completed its acquisition of the Fabick Cat dealership. The deal expands its dealer operations in several Midwestern states, but the near-term financial effect is unclear. Article: Caterpillar completes Fabick Cat acquisition
• Negative Sentiment: The broader AI-trade selloff is weighing on industrial stocks, with investors treating Caterpillar as a beneficiary of data-center power investment and questioning whether that spending will continue. Reports tied the market reaction to expectations of less AI spending after Democrats won Congress; they noted no new company-specific catalyst. Article: Caterpillar caught up in AI trade selloff
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley cut its price target by 26%, citing a shift toward testing Caterpillar’s cyclical fundamentals. Reports also point to weaker orders, dealer inventory reductions, production constraints, tariffs and manufacturing costs—all risks to margins and backlog conversion. Article: Morgan Stanley cuts Caterpillar price target

Caterpillar Profile

Caterpillar Inc is a manufacturer of construction, mining, and industrial equipment. Its product portfolio includes excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, motor graders, articulated trucks, and other machinery used in construction, infrastructure development, mining, quarrying, forestry, and related industries. The company also produces diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, generator sets, and other power-generation and transportation equipment.

Caterpillar operates through businesses focused on construction industries, resource industries, and energy and transportation.