Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Shares Sold by Manning & Napier Advisors LLC

Manning & Napier Advisors LLC decreased its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 9.6% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 31,261 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,335 shares during the quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $22,147,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Carmel Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the first quarter valued at approximately $227,000. Costello Asset Management INC increased its position in shares of Caterpillar by 1.7% during the first quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 895 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $634,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Stiles Financial Services Inc raised its stake in Caterpillar by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Stiles Financial Services Inc now owns 3,207 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,272,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Caterpillar by 850.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 57 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 1st quarter valued at $855,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of Caterpillar stock traded up $14.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $952.42. The stock had a trading volume of 1,957,575 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,658,716. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $930.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $782.09. The firm has a market cap of $438.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.35 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.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The firm had revenue of $17.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.25 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on CAT. Daiwa Securities Group upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $915.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. DA Davidson upped their price target on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $845.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on Caterpillar from $930.00 to $989.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report 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 given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $970.81.

Caterpillar News Roundup

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?

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $922.92, for a total value of $22,354,968.24. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 86,029 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,397,884.68. The trade was a 21.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total transaction of $11,444,205.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 49,825 shares in the company, valued at $45,236,615.75. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar 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.