Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Shares Sold by Vestor Capital LLC

Vestor Capital LLC lowered its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 75.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,707 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 92,128 shares during the period. Caterpillar accounts for approximately 0.7% of Vestor Capital LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Vestor Capital LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $24,897,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. lifted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 440.0% in the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. PFS Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 1,750.0% during the 3rd quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 37 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 93.8% during the 2nd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 31 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the first quarter valued at about $46,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total transaction of $26,211,760.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,555 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,954,303.90. This trade represents a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director C Jr purchased 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $620.39 per share, for a total transaction of $620,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,714 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,924,518.46. This represents a 26.93% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. President Capital started coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, September 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $999.00 price target for the company. Barclays lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $800.00 to $900.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Caterpillar from $1,155.00 to $840.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, October 31st. Finally, Freedom Broker decreased their target price on Caterpillar from $980.00 to $800.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $898.25.

Key Headlines Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Anthropic took over an order for 1.7 gigawatts of Caterpillar gas generators originally placed by OnePWR. The deal highlights demand for power equipment from AI companies and could support Caterpillar’s generator business. Article: Caterpillar Stocks Jump 6.61% as Anthropic Takes Over $3.4 Billion Generator Order
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar and Phoenix Service Partners reported an ultra-low-methane emissions technology for large gas-compression systems. It may help customers meet environmental and permitting requirements, though the article does not quantify potential sales. Article: Why Is Caterpillar Pushing Ultra Low Methane Gas Compression?
• Neutral Sentiment: CAT’s rebound accompanied a strong Dow rally, suggesting broad-market strength contributed to the move. Technical analysis said the shares cleared several daily resistance levels but that the broader trend remained weak. Article: Dow’s nearly 700-point rally highlighted by gains for Amazon.com Inc., Caterpillar shares Article: Caterpillar stock support and resistance levels after 5.8% rebound
• Negative Sentiment: A recent report noted CAT had fallen about 10% in the prior week despite record quarterly sales and a $78 billion backlog, pointing to lingering concerns about the stock’s momentum. Article: Caterpillar Stock Sinks 10% in a Week Despite Record Backlog
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage of Michael Burry cashing in on Caterpillar put options after a reported fourfold gain highlights that bearish investors had profited from the stock’s recent weakness; it does not establish his current position. Article: Michael Burry Cashes In On Caterpillar Puts After 4X Gain

Caterpillar Stock Up 7.1%

NYSE:CAT opened at $598.35 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $756.16 and its 200-day moving average price is $806.00. The company has a market capitalization of $275.04 billion, a PE ratio of 23.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 0.88. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $537.08 and a 1-year high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The industrial products company reported $7.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.06 by $0.14. Caterpillar had a net margin of 15.21% and a return on equity of 59.87%. The company had revenue of $20.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.76 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.95 EPS. Caterpillar’s quarterly revenue was up 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 26th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, October 26th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.58%.

About Caterpillar

Caterpillar Inc is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, engines, turbines, and related products and services. Its offerings include earthmoving and material-handling machines, diesel and natural gas engines, power-generation systems, and equipment and technologies used in mining and transportation. The company’s products are commonly sold under the Cat brand.

Caterpillar serves customers in markets around the world through a network of independent dealers. Its businesses also provide parts, maintenance, equipment rental, and other support services, as well as financing and insurance through its financial services operations.

The company was formed in 1925 through the merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company and the C.