Denise Johnson Sells 39,138 Shares of Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Stock

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) insider Denise Johnson sold 39,138 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $681.08, for a total transaction of $26,656,109.04. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 43,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,524,818. This represents a 47.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of CAT opened at $678.22 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $317.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.04, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.58. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12 month low of $267.30 and a 12 month high of $723.16. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $614.16 and a 200 day simple moving average of $526.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 45.76%. The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $5.14 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be given a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is 32.09%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Caterpillar

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CAT. Norges Bank bought a new position in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter worth $2,165,899,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 3,949.8% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,228,058 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,494,568,000 after acquiring an additional 5,098,964 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position in Caterpillar by 1,851.8% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,830,414 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $873,382,000 after acquiring an additional 1,736,631 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in Caterpillar by 573.1% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,504,612 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $861,947,000 after purchasing an additional 1,281,087 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 425.2% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 761,800 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $295,738,000 after purchasing an additional 616,739 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on CAT. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $710.00 to $760.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Wolfe Research upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $470.00 to $670.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $681.86.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and data‑center tailwind — CAT reported revenue and EPS above estimates, driven by strong Power & Energy demand from data‑center buildouts (supports near‑term revenue and margins). Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raising targets and reaffirming buys — Multiple shops (including Rothschild/Redburn, Truist, Citi and others) have lifted price targets or kept positive ratings, providing fresh upside catalysts. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog and multi‑year growth plan — Management cites a roughly $51B backlog and guidance for 5–7% annual sales through 2030 plus higher 2026 capex to expand capacity, supporting revenue visibility. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns narrative — Coverage highlights strong free cash flow and sizable dividends/repurchases, which supports investor demand at current levels. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic tech partnership — Multi‑year ACI engagement to modernize Caterpillar’s infrastructure is operationally useful but unlikely to move near‑term revenue materially. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate — Coverage notes the strong rally and asks whether shares now price in much of the upside; important for risk/reward but not a near‑term fundamental change. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Product update — New compact 308CR mini‑excavator announced; incremental to overall results but supports product-cycle narrative. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling — Several senior insiders disclosed multi‑million‑dollar sales this week (Denise C. Johnson, Anthony Fassino, Bob De Lange), trimming holdings considerably; the size/timing of these disposals can pressure the stock short‑term as investors interpret them as profit‑taking. Read More.

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.