BDF Gestion Acquires New Stake in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

BDF Gestion bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 5,571 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,191,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of CAT. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Caterpillar by 1,060.0% during the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 58 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. RiverPark Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its earnings outlook for Caterpillar, forecasting higher EPS — a direct positive for investor expectations and support for the stock after Caterpillar’s January quarter beat. Zacks Research Forecasts Higher Earnings for Caterpillar
• Positive Sentiment: A Chicago Tribune editorial highlights Hyundai Translead’s large Joliet manufacturing investment and broader regional manufacturing momentum; such industrial investments can indirectly lift demand for heavy equipment, parts and services that benefit suppliers like CAT. Editorial: Gov. JB Pritzker gets a big win with Hyundai Translead’s splashy Joliet investment
• Neutral Sentiment: Human-interest coverage referencing “caterpillars” as food for songbirds — not related to Caterpillar Inc.’s business; minimal investor impact. ‘The great munching’: Caterpillars’ gluttony means food for baby songbirds
• Neutral Sentiment: Feature on interactive machines at an Illinois museum — raises local brand visibility but has little bearing on fundamentals. The Massive Interactive Machines At This Illinois Museum Will Blow You Away
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece warns that while data‑center demand tailwinds for Caterpillar are real, current valuation appears to price in aggressive growth that may be unrealistic — a caution for multiple expansion and a potential cap on further upside if growth slows. Caterpillar: Data Center Tailwinds Are Real, But Valuation Assumes Unrealistic Growth

Caterpillar Trading Up 3.0%

NYSE CAT opened at $701.38 on Tuesday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $326.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.27, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.53. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $703.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $597.63. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12 month low of $267.30 and a 12 month high of $789.81.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $5.14 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In other news, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $57,574,954.83. This trade represents a 22.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 10,671 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $680.45, for a total value of $7,261,081.95. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 41,151 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,001,197.95. The trade was a 20.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 135,950 shares of company stock valued at $94,327,990 over the last ninety days. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on CAT. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $760.00 to $785.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $678.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wolfe Research boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $470.00 to $670.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Friday, February 6th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $730.50.

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.