Key Points
- Insider sale: Denise Johnson sold 39,138 shares of Caterpillar at an average price of $681.08 for a total of about $26.66 million, cutting her position by 47.45% to 43,350 shares (≈$29.5M).
- Earnings and outlook: Caterpillar beat Q4 estimates with $5.16 EPS (vs. $4.67) and $19.13B revenue, driven by Power & Energy and data‑center demand; management cites a ~ $51B backlog and growth/capex plans, while analysts have been raising targets with a consensus price target near $681.86.
- Dividend: The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.51 per share (annualized $6.04), implying a yield of about 0.9% and a payout ratio near 32.09%.
Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) insider Denise Johnson sold 39,138 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $681.08, for a total value of $26,656,109.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 43,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $29,524,818. The trade was a 47.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.
Caterpillar Price Performance
Shares of NYSE CAT opened at $692.01 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The company has a market cap of $323.85 billion, a PE ratio of 36.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.58. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $612.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $525.73. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $267.30 and a 1-year high of $723.16.
Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 45.76%. The company had revenue of $19.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $5.14 EPS. The business's revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.
Caterpillar Dividend Announcement
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 paid a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio is 32.09%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research firms have commented on CAT. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Caterpillar from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $710.00 to $760.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday. Barclays upped their price target on Caterpillar from $610.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $476.00 to $630.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, November 17th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $681.86.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on CAT
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 1,060.0% in the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 58 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company's stock.
More Caterpillar News
Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and data‑center tailwind — CAT reported Q4 revenue and EPS above estimates, driven by Power & Energy strength as data‑center buildouts boosted demand for turbines and backup power. That underpins near‑term earnings momentum and revenue visibility. Earnings Beat
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts lifting targets and reiterating buys — Multiple firms raised price targets (e.g., Rothschild & Co Redburn raised to $700) and several banks kept/raised positive ratings, creating additional upside catalysts. Rothschild PT Raise
- Positive Sentiment: Record backlog and multi‑year growth plan — Management cites a ~$51B backlog and guidance for 5–7% annual sales through 2030 plus a 25% increase in 2026 capex to expand capacity, which supports conversion of backlog into revenue over time. MarketBeat Backlog Analysis
- Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns narrative — Coverage highlighting strong free‑cash‑flow and large capital returns (dividends/repurchases) supports investor appetite for the stock. Forbes on Returns
- Neutral Sentiment: Strategic tech partnership — Caterpillar awarded a multi‑year infrastructure modernization engagement to ACI; operationally useful but unlikely to materially move near‑term revenue. ACI Partnership
- Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate — Coverage notes CAT’s strong run and asks whether shares are rich after the rally; this frames the risk/reward debate for investors but doesn't change fundamentals immediately. Valuation Coverage
- Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling — Several senior insiders disclosed multi‑million‑dollar sales (e.g., Denise C. Johnson, Anthony Fassino, Bob De Lange) that meaningfully trimmed their holdings; while such sales can be routine, the size of the disposals can fuel short‑term selling or signal profit‑taking at current highs. Insider Sale Filing
About Caterpillar
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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