Ascent Group LLC Grows Stake in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Ascent Group LLC increased its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 88.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,136 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,876 shares during the period. Ascent Group LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $2,928,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. RiverPark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Harbor Asset Planning Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reports say AI-related data‑center expansion is directly boosting demand for Caterpillar generators, prompting a near‑term lift in the stock as investors re-rate CAT for energy-service growth. AI Demand Generates Rise in Caterpillar Shares
• Positive Sentiment: WSJ feature highlights generator sales as the fastest‑growing segment for Caterpillar, underlining durable revenue growth from power solutions used by hyperscalers and data centers. Caterpillar’s Surging Stock Is Fueled by AI, Not Yellow Excavators
• Positive Sentiment: Industry coverage and shorter briefs report a sales surge for data‑center generators, which analysts say is translating quickly into order flow and stronger near‑term sales visibility. Caterpillar’s Data Center Generators Fuel Sale Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Short-form business wires and market briefs note immediate share gains as markets price in stronger energy‑business growth tied to AI/data‑center demand. Caterpillar’s stock jumps as AI drives demand for generators
• Positive Sentiment: Sector performance writeups place Industrials among 2025 winners and cite CAT’s 61% return, driven in part by power‑generation exposure to data‑center builds — a structural tailwind for revenue and margins. S&P 500 Sector Performance / CAT coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Mainstream business TV and aggregator pieces highlight Caterpillar as the Dow’s best performer this year, reinforcing momentum and investor attention. Caterpillar becomes the Dow’s best performer this year
• Neutral Sentiment: Barron’s notes that while Caterpillar benefits from data‑center power demand, it remains an industrial/equipment company rather than a pure “AI play,” which could limit multiple expansion if investors seek pure software/AI exposures. Caterpillar Stock Is an Unlikely AI Play as Data Center Power Demand Surges
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/PR items — a new Cat Track Clamp Master Link (easier track installation) and centennial celebrations — are positive for brand and operations but unlikely to move the stock materially. Cat’s New Track Clamp Master Link Eases Excavator Track Installation Celebrating 100 years

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup raised shares of Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “mixed” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Caterpillar from $612.00 to $680.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $570.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Caterpillar in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $675.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Erste Group Bank upgraded Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $616.00.

Caterpillar Trading Down 0.8%

CAT stock opened at $573.03 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.86. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $267.30 and a 1-year high of $627.50. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $571.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $482.08. The company has a market capitalization of $268.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.42, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.57.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The industrial products company reported $4.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.52 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $17.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.72 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.34% and a return on equity of 47.16%. Caterpillar’s quarterly revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $5.17 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be issued a $1.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 10,000 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $571.44, for a total value of $5,714,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 55,460 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,692,062.40. The trade was a 15.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 8,184 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $570.18, for a total transaction of $4,666,353.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 41,512 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,669,312.16. This trade represents a 16.47% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 61,895 shares of company stock valued at $34,007,516 in the last three months. 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.