Clear Trail Advisors LLC Takes Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Clear Trail Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 8,444 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,837,000. Caterpillar accounts for about 1.1% of Clear Trail Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in CAT. Montecito Bank & Trust increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 3,362 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,926,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC now owns 1,122 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $535,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. one8zero8 LLC increased its position in shares of Caterpillar by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. one8zero8 LLC now owns 619 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Finivi Inc. raised its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Finivi Inc. now owns 1,321 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $630,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abacus Planning Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 3,214 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,534,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on CAT. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Friday, February 6th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $569.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Sixteen research 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 has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $730.50.

Insider Activity

In other Caterpillar news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $718.93, for a total value of $1,797,325.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 35,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,222,221.19. The trade was a 6.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 10,671 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $680.45, for a total transaction of $7,261,081.95. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 41,151 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $28,001,197.95. This represents a 20.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 135,950 shares of company stock valued at $94,327,990 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of Caterpillar stock opened at $701.38 on Tuesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $703.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $597.63. 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 company 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. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $267.30 and a 1-year high of $789.81.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 45.76%. Caterpillar’s quarterly revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $5.14 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current year.

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.