Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Trading Down 1.2% – Time to Sell?

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) fell 1.2% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $692.70 and last traded at $693.2630. 1,744,679 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 40% from the average session volume of 2,906,526 shares. The stock had previously closed at $702.00.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on CAT shares. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $678.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Argus increased their price target on Caterpillar from $625.00 to $820.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $730.50.

Caterpillar Trading Down 1.2%

The firm has a market capitalization of $316.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.54. The business’s fifty day moving average is $700.70 and its 200 day moving average is $591.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44.

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

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other news, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $720.11, for a total value of $16,314,812.16. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares in the company, valued at $57,574,954.83. This trade represents a 22.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $776.90, for a total transaction of $6,130,517.90. Following the transaction, the insider owned 46,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $36,236,946.70. The trade was a 14.47% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 135,950 shares of company stock worth $94,327,990. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Purpose Unlimited Inc. acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $964,000. Cornerstone Planning LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,517,000. Forty three Eighteen Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,335,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 22.2% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 346,392 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $198,438,000 after buying an additional 62,895 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New Hampshire boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 87.1% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New Hampshire now owns 623 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $357,000 after buying an additional 290 shares during the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.