Welch Group LLC Has $27.71 Million Stock Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Welch Group LLC trimmed its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 3.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 39,108 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,519 shares during the quarter. Welch Group LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $27,707,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake 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 valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Caterpillar by 47.4% in the 4th quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Stock Down 5.7%

Caterpillar stock opened at $996.73 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $459.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.61, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.59. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $897.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $755.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.81. Caterpillar Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $382.75 and a fifty-two week high of $1,057.07.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. The firm had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.53 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.25 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.64 EPS for the current 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 given a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In related news, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total transaction of $11,444,205.55. Following the sale, the insider owned 49,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $45,236,615.75. This trade represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total value of $14,399,860.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,631,913.85. The trade was a 22.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635 in the last three months. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target on Caterpillar to $1,200 from $1,165 and reiterated an outperform rating, signaling continued upside confidence. MarketScreener
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar’s earnings backdrop remains strong: the company recently beat estimates with higher-than-expected revenue and EPS, supported by robust demand and a record backlog theme that has helped the stock outperform this year.
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar Foundation announced a $2.5 million initiative tied to America’s 250th anniversary, which is positive for corporate image but likely limited direct impact on shares. Caterpillar Foundation Announces $2.5 Million Initiative in Celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary
• Negative Sentiment: Investor sentiment is being weighed down by margin pressure: a Zacks note said Q1 2026 operating margin slipped to 18% as tariff-related costs rose, and management expects $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion of tariff impact for 2026. Caterpillar’s Operating Margins Remain Under Pressure: Rebound Ahead?
• Negative Sentiment: Broad market coverage said Caterpillar was one of the main drags on the Dow in Friday trading, suggesting weakness in the stock was large enough to influence the index. Nasdaq Rises. Caterpillar and Goldman Are Dragging on the Dow.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent economic data showed advance trade in goods falling in May, which can be read as a softer trade backdrop for industrial-demand names like Caterpillar. Advance Trade in Goods fall in May

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CAT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $905.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $769.00 to $879.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Argus raised their price target on Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $941.45.

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.