Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Sells 646 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lessened its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 3.1% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 19,972 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 646 shares during the quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $14,149,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Caterpillar in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 period. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 47.4% during the fourth 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 period. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CAT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer set a $980.00 price target on Caterpillar and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,103.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Barclays increased their price target on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $800.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Argus lifted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. One 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $970.81.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of Caterpillar stock traded up $14.03 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 stock has a market cap of $438.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 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 twelve month low of $401.70 and a twelve month high of $1,073.46. The business’s 50 day moving average is $930.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $782.09.

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

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.06%.

Key Caterpillar News

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 other Caterpillar news, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the insider owned 49,825 shares in the company, valued at $45,236,615.75. This represents a 20.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 46,041 shares in the company, valued at $42,210,388.80. This represents a 26.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

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.