Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Stock Price Down 1.5% on Insider Selling

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)’s share price was down 1.5% on Wednesday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $750.38 and last traded at $752.9710. Approximately 2,494,192 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 17% from the average daily volume of 3,006,679 shares. The stock had previously closed at $764.76.

Specifically, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 972 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $764.20, for a total value of $742,802.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 824 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $629,700.80. This represents a 54.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 1,764 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $763.39, for a total value of $1,346,619.96. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 1,440 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,099,281.60. This represents a 55.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In other news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $776.90, for a total value of $6,130,517.90. Following the transaction, the insider owned 46,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $36,236,946.70. The trade was a 14.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on CAT. 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. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $750.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Wolfe Research lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $470.00 to $670.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $702.95.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar is reported to be investing in a large LFP battery cell mega‑factory in Subotica — a move that supports its electrification and power‑systems growth strategy and signals longer‑term recurring revenue potential. FT Exclusive: Caterpillar Invests in Mega Battery Factory
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar Venture Capital backed ElevenEs’ Series B and construction of a 1 GWh LFP battery cell factory is starting — this supports CAT’s strategy to scale electrification supply‑chain exposure and capture higher‑margin services. Business Wire: ElevenEs Series B
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar completed the acquisition of RPMGlobal to expand its mining software and digital services — a strategic bolt‑on that can boost recurring, higher‑margin software revenue and strengthen its mining tech offering. Australian Mining: RPMGlobal Acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis pieces highlight Caterpillar’s exposure to AI/data‑center infrastructure and electrification demand — a narrative helping the stock’s multiple expand as investors price in new end markets beyond traditional construction and mining. Forbes: Can AI Infrastructure Spending Keep CAT Stock Climbing?
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar’s CEO Joe Creed and Group President Rod Shurman will speak at CONEXPO (March 5) — a high‑visibility event where management commentary could influence sentiment but is not an immediate fundamental catalyst. PR Newswire: CONEXPO Fireside Chat
• Neutral Sentiment: Management presented at Barclays’ industrial conference (slides/transcript available) — useful for guidance and strategy detail but not an earnings surprise by itself. Seeking Alpha: Barclays Conference Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Several insiders have sold stock recently: CAO William Schaupp disclosed a sale (972 shares), which reduces his holding materially and can spook short‑term sentiment. SEC Filing – William E. Schaupp Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Rodney M. Shurman sold 1,764 shares (≈55% reduction of his position), another insider reduction that could add short‑term selling pressure. SEC Filing – Rodney Michael Shurman Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Senior insider Anthony Fassino sold ~7,891 shares (~$6.1M), a sizable disposition that investors may interpret as a near‑term negative signal. SEC Filing – Anthony D. Fassino Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed Q2 EPS estimates for CAT, suggesting softer near‑term earnings expectations that could cap further multiple expansion until guidance or results improve. American Banking News: Zacks Lowers Q2 EPS Estimates

Caterpillar Stock Up 1.1%

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $646.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $549.61. The company has a market cap of $353.66 billion, a PE ratio of 40.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.58. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.14 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 20th were paid a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.09%.

Institutional Trading of Caterpillar

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Caterpillar by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 47.4% in the fourth quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

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.