William Schaupp Sells 972 Shares of Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Stock

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) CAO William Schaupp sold 972 shares of Caterpillar 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 transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Caterpillar Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of CAT opened at $760.08 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $646.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $549.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.44. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1 year low of $267.30 and a 1 year high of $789.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $353.66 billion, a PE ratio of 40.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.58.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $5.14 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

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

Caterpillar News Summary

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Caterpillar in the second quarter worth about $2,165,899,000. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 17,262 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $8,237,000 after buying an additional 1,181 shares during the period. Groupe la Francaise raised its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 82.0% during the second quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 27,246 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $10,820,000 after buying an additional 12,278 shares during the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its holdings in Caterpillar by 155.9% in the third quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 47,231 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $21,014,000 after buying an additional 28,773 shares during the period. Finally, Caprock Group LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar in the third quarter valued at approximately $8,893,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on CAT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $740.00 to $765.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $677.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Robert W. Baird set a $805.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Caterpillar from $610.00 to $625.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $702.95.

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.