CENTRAL TRUST Co Reduces Stock Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

CENTRAL TRUST Co trimmed its stake in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 2.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,609 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 899 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $25,228,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAT. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,385,185 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,572,681,000 after acquiring an additional 442,164 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in Caterpillar by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,388,550 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $20,273,039,000 after buying an additional 385,204 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,610,182 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,072,572,000 after buying an additional 94,524 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in Caterpillar by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,493,266 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $5,438,408,000 after acquiring an additional 54,069 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 16.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,738,802 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,860,457,000 after acquiring an additional 928,974 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on CAT. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Williams Trading set a $825.00 price target on Caterpillar in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $915.00 price objective on Caterpillar and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wolfe Research boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $939.86.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar is being linked to the AI buildout after reports said its Solar Turbines unit is helping supply equipment for Chevron and Microsoft’s massive West Texas data center power project, highlighting new long-term demand for power-generation gear. Caterpillar (CAT) Lands Key Role In Chevron Microsoft AI Data Center Build
• Positive Sentiment: CAT’s record $63 billion backlog, up 79% year over year, suggests sustained demand and gives investors more confidence in revenue visibility and 2026 sales growth. CAT’s Record Backlog: A Sign of Sustained Demand Strength?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to highlight Caterpillar as a top industrial stock, with industrial production improving and Caterpillar cited among names benefiting from the broader manufacturing upcycle. Industrial Production Rises Amid Inflation Woes: 4 Stocks to Grab
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage says Caterpillar’s stock has hit a milestone above $1,000 and remains one of the standout winners in the industrial rally, reinforcing momentum-focused buying. Caterpillar’s stock hits a milestone as AI-fueled industrials rally sweeps up Wall Street
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar Foundation news about extending STEM education and workforce-readiness collaboration is positive for the company’s reputation, but it is unlikely to move the stock much on its own. Project Lead The Way and Caterpillar Foundation Extend Collaboration to Advance STEM Education and Workforce Readiness
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional articles about Caterpillar’s long-term quality, investor attention, and record run mostly reinforce the bullish narrative rather than add a new catalyst. Industrial Production Rises Amid Inflation Woes: 4 Stocks to Grab

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In related news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.80, for a total transaction of $14,928,254.40. Following the sale, the insider owned 46,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,210,388.80. This trade represents a 26.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $922.92, for a total value of $22,354,968.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 86,029 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $79,397,884.68. The trade was a 21.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Stock Down 3.5%

CAT opened at $986.44 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $454.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.35. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $883.64 and its 200 day moving average is $747.45. Caterpillar Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $367.92 and a fifty-two week high of $1,023.29.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. The business had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.Caterpillar’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.25 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a dividend of $1.63 per share. This is an increase from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.06%.

About Caterpillar

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.