Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Upgraded to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

CAT has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Needham & Company LLC set a $980.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $925.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Zacks Research lowered Caterpillar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and set a $1,002.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price target on Caterpillar from $845.00 to $882.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $989.17.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Caterpillar stock opened at $800.64 on Friday. Caterpillar has a 1-year low of $491.30 and a 1-year high of $1,073.46. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $368.03 billion, a PE ratio of 34.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.58. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $822.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $853.60.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.22 by $1.95. The firm had revenue of $20.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.34 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.51% and a return on equity of 55.53%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.72 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Caterpillar will post 27.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total transaction of $26,211,760.98. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,555 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,954,303.90. This trade represents a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAT. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 440.0% during the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co increased its position in Caterpillar by 93.8% during the 2nd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 31 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Caterpillar in the second quarter valued at about $36,000. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Caterpillar in the first quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Tacita Capital Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter worth about $47,000. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

More Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong volume growth supports higher earnings expectations. Caterpillar’s first-half 2026 volume gains added approximately $5.4 billion to revenue, with momentum across all three major segments prompting a higher full-year outlook. Will Caterpillar’s Strong Volume Growth Keep Driving Sales Up in 2026?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised longer-term EPS forecasts. Zacks Research increased its estimates for first- and second-quarter 2028 earnings and lifted its FY2028 forecast to $39.15 per share from $36.64, reinforcing expectations for continued earnings growth, although it maintained a Hold rating. Zacks Research earnings estimates
• Positive Sentiment: North Carolina investment signals capacity expansion. Caterpillar plans to invest about $1 billion in a technology-enabled, automation-heavy facility in Sanford to produce compact track loaders and telehandlers. The project could broaden its reach among small contractors, rental fleets and light-industrial customers while improving manufacturing efficiency. Caterpillar to invest $1 billion in North Carolina manufacturing facility
• Positive Sentiment: Construction-cycle exposure remains a bullish theme. J.P. Morgan described CAT as a major beneficiary of an extended U.S. construction cycle, while coverage also highlighted Caterpillar’s dealer network and use of artificial intelligence to enhance heavy-industry operations. Caterpillar Is the Market in a Single Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical conditions remain unsettled. CAT recently fell below its 50-day moving average after a sharp selloff, but analysts identify historical trendline support and argue that the company’s backlog and earnings outlook could enable a rebound. Caterpillar Stock Could Bounce From Key Trendline
• Negative Sentiment: Rates and regulatory scrutiny are weighing on sentiment. A sharp rise in long-term Treasury yields has pressured the valuation of this economically sensitive industrial stock, while scrutiny of agricultural-equipment practices adds headline risk. Truist also reduced its price target, though it remains above the current market level. Caterpillar Faces Regulatory And Rate Pressure

Caterpillar Company Profile

Caterpillar Inc is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. Its products are used in infrastructure development, construction, mining, energy production, transportation, agriculture, forestry, and other industrial applications.

The company markets equipment and related services through a worldwide network of independent dealers. Its operations are generally organized around Construction Industries, Resource Industries, and Energy & Transportation.