Erste Asset Management GmbH Acquires 33,634 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Erste Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 32.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 136,421 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 33,634 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $64,336,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on CAT shares. Wall Street Zen cut Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Monday, December 29th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $729.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Caterpillar from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $712.52.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

CAT opened at $752.81 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $350.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.00, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a fifty day moving average of $664.48 and a 200 day moving average of $561.23. Caterpillar Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $267.30 and a fifty-two week high of $789.81.

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

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

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

Key Headlines Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major analyst upgrades and price‑target hikes — Wells Fargo raised its target to $870 (overweight) and Daiwa lifted its target to $790, giving fresh buy‑side ammunition and supporting upside expectations. Wells Fargo price target hike
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile media and TV endorsements (Jim Cramer commentary) are adding retail/institutional attention and positive sentiment toward CAT’s machinery exposure. Jim Cramer on Caterpillar
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic corporate moves — Caterpillar acquired RPMGlobal (mining software) and its venture arm backed ElevenEs, signaling expansion into software/tech and commodity‑linked solutions that can lift long‑term services and recurring revenue. Caterpillar acquires RPMGlobal ElevenEs Series B backed by Caterpillar Venture Capital
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/market reports point to strong multi‑year demand for mining trucks, tunneling and rock‑drilling equipment (electrification, autonomy, infrastructure), which is a tailwind but not an immediate earnings surprise. Mining Truck Market Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Company PR events (Global Technician Finals) and product/service improvements (rental management redesign) help branding and aftermarket services but are gradual catalysts. Global Technician Finals
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: a senior employee sold ~2,278 shares recently (disclosed), which can be perceived as profit‑taking by insiders and adds psychological pressure on the stock. Insider sale disclosure
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest jumped roughly 61% in February — increased shorting raises near‑term volatility and suggests some market participants are positioning for a pullback. (Internal short‑interest data)
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is extended after a big rally (PE ~40 and ~124% Y/Y gain); several articles warn CAT now trades at a premium, increasing sensitivity to any slowdown in orders, margins or macro headwinds. Valuation assessment

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other news, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 39,138 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider directly owned 43,350 shares in the company, valued at $29,524,818. The trade was a 47.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $720.11, for a total transaction of $16,314,812.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $57,574,954.83. The trade was a 22.08% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 143,450 shares of company stock worth $98,245,065. Company insiders own 0.33% 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.