Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Reaches New 52-Week High on Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday after Morgan Stanley raised their price target on the stock from $395.00 to $400.00. Morgan Stanley currently has an underweight rating on the stock. Caterpillar traded as high as $655.78 and last traded at $645.1570, with a volume of 399153 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $645.38.

CAT has been the topic of several other research reports. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $506.00 to $581.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $650.00 to $708.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $420.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. HSBC raised shares of Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $405.00 to $660.00 in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $612.00 to $680.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $637.70.

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Jason Kaiser sold 10,707 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $563.60, for a total value of $6,034,465.20. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 8,649 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,874,576.40. This trade represents a 55.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 8,184 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $570.18, for a total transaction of $4,666,353.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 41,512 shares in the company, valued at $23,669,312.16. This represents a 16.47% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 54,729 shares of company stock worth $31,084,308 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

More Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar expanded its AI partnership with Nvidia to modernize machines and manufacturing — this supports long-term efficiency and product differentiation. Caterpillar, Nvidia Team Up to Transform Machines and Manufacturing
• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its price target to $650, signaling upside from some sell-side analysts who see more room to run. Rothschild & Co Redburn Increases Caterpillar Price Target to $650.00
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer flagged positive expectations for CAT shares, adding a supportive analyst view that can buoy sentiment. Caterpillar Stock Price Expected to Rise, Oppenheimer Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $610 and kept an equal-weight rating — a modest tweak that acknowledges momentum but stops short of a buy call. Barclays Adjusts Caterpillar Price Target to $610
• Neutral Sentiment: Feature pieces highlight Caterpillar’s push into technology and AI-driven equipment, supporting long-term strategy but not guaranteed near-term revenue shifts. Building The World Through Technology At Caterpillar
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent valuation commentary examines whether recent share gains are justified — useful for investors weighing multiple analyst targets and high P/E multiple. Assessing Caterpillar (CAT) Valuation After Strong Recent Share Price Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar is scheduled to release quarterly earnings this week; guidance and parts/services commentary will be key catalysts. Caterpillar to Release Quarterly Earnings on Thursday
• Negative Sentiment: Two market headlines note that Caterpillar’s share losses were a major contributor to a multi-hundred-point Dow decline, pressuring sentiment intraday. Goldman Sachs, Caterpillar share losses contribute to Dow’s 411-point drop
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks caution CAT may report a decline in earnings next quarter, which raises risk around the upcoming print. Analysts Estimate Caterpillar to Report a Decline in Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $400 but left an underweight rating — the low target implies significant downside in that shop’s view and may temper bullish momentum. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: A worker has sued, alleging wrongful firing after reporting racial harassment — a legal/HR risk that can create headline volatility. Caterpillar worker sues, claims firing came after racial harassment report

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pacific Point Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth $579,000. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 51.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 7,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,688,000 after buying an additional 2,519 shares in the last quarter. McAdam LLC boosted its position in Caterpillar by 1.6% during the second quarter. McAdam LLC now owns 1,872 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $727,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Caterpillar by 5.8% during the 2nd quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 16,635 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,458,000 after acquiring an additional 916 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MKT Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter valued at about $270,000. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Caterpillar Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $293.29 billion, a PE ratio of 32.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.57. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $594.45 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $510.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.38.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The industrial products company reported $4.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.52 by $0.43. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 47.16% and a net margin of 14.34%.The business had revenue of $17.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.72 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $5.17 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is currently 31.01%.

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.