Conning Inc. Reduces Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Conning Inc. lowered its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 7.9% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 53,028 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 4,551 shares during the period. Caterpillar makes up approximately 1.2% of Conning Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. Conning Inc.’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $37,568,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lam Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in Caterpillar by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 47.4% during the 4th quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on CAT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Oppenheimer set a $980.00 price target on Caterpillar and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wolfe Research lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Caterpillar from $769.00 to $879.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $970.81.

Caterpillar News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar is being highlighted as a way to gain exposure to the AI buildout, especially through demand tied to data center construction, which is helping bolster investor optimism. These Dividend Paying Stocks Offer Strong Exposure to AI Trends
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/commentary pieces continue to frame Caterpillar as a stock with strong momentum and relative outperformance, supporting the bullish case for CAT. CAT Outperforms NVDA & Tech Sector, AI Data Center Demand Powers Growth
• Positive Sentiment: News that Caterpillar is opening an engineering design centre adds to the company’s investment and expansion story, which can be supportive for long-term growth expectations. Caterpillar Inc. opens engineering design centre
• Positive Sentiment: Reports of a multimillion-dollar global headquarters expansion in Las Colinas suggest continued capital investment and confidence in the business outlook. Caterpillar digs into new $34M HQ in Las Colinas
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary notes that Caterpillar remains a popular industrial stock to watch, but these list-style articles do not provide a clear new catalyst. Industrial Stocks To Consider – July 9th
• Neutral Sentiment: Another feature discusses Caterpillar among “calls of the day,” indicating ongoing trader attention rather than a specific fundamental update. Calls of the day: AbbVie, Caterpillar, Marriott, Lamar Advertising and PepsiCo
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage says CAT has dipped while the broader market rose, and other commentary warns the stock may be losing momentum as investors weigh valuation, tariffs, and execution risks. Caterpillar (CAT) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts
• Negative Sentiment: One bearish note suggests the AI rally may be fading, with valuation concerns making investors more cautious about further upside. CAT Stock Heads For Second Weekly Loss: Is Caterpillar’s AI Rally Fading?

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Caterpillar news, insider Jason Kaiser sold 5,642 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $883.03, for a total value of $4,982,055.26. Following the transaction, the insider owned 9,594 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,471,789.82. This trade represents a 37.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total value of $11,444,205.55. Following the transaction, the insider owned 49,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $45,236,615.75. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Caterpillar Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE CAT opened at $952.42 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $930.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $782.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12-month low of $401.70 and a 12-month high of $1,073.46. The company has a market cap of $438.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.57.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The business’s revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.25 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

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

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.