Capital Investment Counsel Inc Trims Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Capital Investment Counsel Inc reduced its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 7.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,466 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,008 shares during the quarter. Caterpillar makes up approximately 0.7% of Capital Investment Counsel Inc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest position. Capital Investment Counsel Inc’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $5,948,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of CAT. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in Caterpillar by 36,842.1% during the second quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,299,751 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,833,836,000 after purchasing an additional 7,279,991 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,165,899,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in Caterpillar by 1,851.8% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,830,414 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $873,382,000 after acquiring an additional 1,736,631 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in Caterpillar by 425.2% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 761,800 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $295,738,000 after acquiring an additional 616,739 shares during the period. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Caterpillar by 36.9% during the third quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 1,777,589 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $848,177,000 after acquiring an additional 478,972 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 1,200 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $572.22, for a total value of $686,664.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,323 shares in the company, valued at approximately $757,047.06. This trade represents a 47.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 14,638 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $562.36, for a total transaction of $8,231,825.68. Following the sale, the insider owned 80,209 shares in the company, valued at $45,106,333.24. The trade was a 15.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 54,729 shares of company stock worth $31,084,308 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar expanded its AI partnership with Nvidia to modernize machines and manufacturing — this supports long-term efficiency and product differentiation. Caterpillar, Nvidia Team Up to Transform Machines and Manufacturing
• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its price target to $650, signaling upside from some sell-side analysts who see more room to run. Rothschild & Co Redburn Increases Caterpillar Price Target to $650.00
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer flagged positive expectations for CAT shares, adding a supportive analyst view that can buoy sentiment. Caterpillar Stock Price Expected to Rise, Oppenheimer Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $610 and kept an equal-weight rating — a modest tweak that acknowledges momentum but stops short of a buy call. Barclays Adjusts Caterpillar Price Target to $610
• Neutral Sentiment: Feature pieces highlight Caterpillar’s push into technology and AI-driven equipment, supporting long-term strategy but not guaranteed near-term revenue shifts. Building The World Through Technology At Caterpillar
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent valuation commentary examines whether recent share gains are justified — useful for investors weighing multiple analyst targets and high P/E multiple. Assessing Caterpillar (CAT) Valuation After Strong Recent Share Price Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar is scheduled to release quarterly earnings this week; guidance and parts/services commentary will be key catalysts. Caterpillar to Release Quarterly Earnings on Thursday
• Negative Sentiment: Two market headlines note that Caterpillar’s share losses were a major contributor to a multi-hundred-point Dow decline, pressuring sentiment intraday. Goldman Sachs, Caterpillar share losses contribute to Dow’s 411-point drop
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks caution CAT may report a decline in earnings next quarter, which raises risk around the upcoming print. Analysts Estimate Caterpillar to Report a Decline in Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $400 but left an underweight rating — the low target implies significant downside in that shop’s view and may temper bullish momentum. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: A worker has sued, alleging wrongful firing after reporting racial harassment — a legal/HR risk that can create headline volatility. Caterpillar worker sues, claims firing came after racial harassment report

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on CAT shares. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on Caterpillar from $557.00 to $630.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $506.00 to $581.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $395.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $570.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $408.00 to $569.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $637.70.

Caterpillar Trading Down 3.3%

NYSE CAT opened at $626.71 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.38. The firm has a market cap of $293.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.17, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.57. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $594.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $511.37. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $267.30 and a one year high of $655.78.

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

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be paid a $1.51 dividend. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.01%.

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.