Insider Selling: Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Insider Sells 39,138 Shares of Stock

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) insider Denise Johnson sold 39,138 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $681.08, for a total transaction of $26,656,109.04. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 43,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,524,818. This trade represents a 47.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Caterpillar Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of CAT traded down $10.88 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $692.01. The stock had a trading volume of 4,798,000 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,749,162. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $609.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $524.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $323.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 0.94. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $267.30 and a 1-year high of $723.16.

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

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be given a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is presently 32.09%.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and data‑center demand: CAT reported revenue and EPS above estimates, led by a 23% rise in Power & Energy sales as data‑center buildouts drove demand for turbines and backup power — a clear earnings and growth catalyst. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Multiple firms have raised targets and maintained bullish views (Truist, Citi, JPMorgan, Oppenheimer; Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its PT to $700 while keeping a neutral rating), giving the stock fresh upside narrative. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Backlog, multi‑year visibility and capex: Management cites a record ~$51B backlog and sees 5–7% annual sales through 2030; management plans higher 2026 capex (~$3.5B) to expand capacity and convert backlog into revenue. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns narrative: Coverage highlights strong free‑cash‑flow and sizable capital returns (dividends/repurchases), which supports investor sentiment. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic tech partnership: ACI won a multi‑year engagement to modernize Caterpillar’s digital infrastructure — operationally constructive but unlikely to move near‑term revenue materially. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Product update: New 308CR mini‑excavator announced — supports product‑cycle story but is incremental to the broader revenue drivers. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling / profit‑taking: Two senior insiders disclosed multi‑million dollar stock sales (Anthony Fassino and Bob De Lange reduced positions), which can sap near‑term sentiment if viewed as profit‑taking at elevated valuations. Read More.

Institutional Trading of Caterpillar

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Biltmore Family Office LLC increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Biltmore Family Office LLC now owns 6,011 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,444,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC MO purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth about $360,000. Summit Wealth Group LLC Co. raised its position in shares of Caterpillar by 46.6% in the fourth quarter. Summit Wealth Group LLC Co. now owns 1,561 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $894,000 after purchasing an additional 496 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 22.6% in the 4th quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 13,472 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $7,718,000 after buying an additional 2,481 shares during the period. Finally, Independent Advisor Alliance grew its stake in Caterpillar by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 49,590 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,408,000 after buying an additional 2,880 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on CAT. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their target price on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Monday, December 29th. DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $569.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $710.00 to $760.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $729.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $681.86.

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.