Aberdeen Group plc Boosts Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Aberdeen Group plc lifted its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 15.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 500,220 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 65,634 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned about 0.11% of Caterpillar worth $236,164,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pacific Point Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $579,000. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Caterpillar by 51.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 7,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,688,000 after purchasing an additional 2,519 shares during the period. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 9.5% in the 2nd quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,801 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,252,000 after purchasing an additional 503 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 17,247 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,695,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the period. Finally, Arista Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter worth about $330,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Caterpillar news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 10,671 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $680.45, for a total value of $7,261,081.95. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 41,151 shares in the company, valued at $28,001,197.95. This represents a 20.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $575.06, for a total transaction of $5,750,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 45,460 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,142,227.60. The trade was a 18.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 130,545 shares of company stock valued at $88,294,733. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on CAT. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Robert W. Baird set a $805.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $677.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Wolfe Research upped their price target on Caterpillar from $470.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $702.95.

Caterpillar Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:CAT opened at $774.37 on Friday. Caterpillar Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $267.30 and a fifty-two week high of $789.81. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $634.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $541.22. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The stock has a market cap of $362.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.58.

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

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is 32.09%.

Caterpillar News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI/data-center demand — Reports note that AI-driven capital expenditures (hyperscaler data-center construction and mining electrification) are boosting demand for large construction and mining equipment, a structural tailwind for Caterpillar’s sales and backlog. Caterpillar Rides AI Data Center Boom With Priced In Expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price-target lift — Bank of America raised its price target (and an upgrade triggered a new 1‑year high mention), adding buy-side momentum and validating higher valuations for CAT. Bank of America Raises Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Price Target to $825.00
• Positive Sentiment: Upgraded earnings estimates — Zacks refreshed its model, raising Q1 and multi‑year EPS forecasts for CAT (FY2026–FY2028), which supports higher forward earnings multiples and gives investors conviction about near‑term profitability. The Zacks Analyst Alphabet, Caterpillar,T-Mobile US and Onfolio
• Positive Sentiment: Market leadership / headline performance — Coverage and headlines highlight CAT as a top contributor to the Dow’s gains, which can attract momentum flows and index-related buying. Why Caterpillar’s Stock Is Benefiting From the AI Boom
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro data mixed — Recent reports show stronger January jobs but downward revisions to 2025 job growth and lingering inflation above 2%. That creates uncertainty around Fed policy; durable capex demand can offset tighter monetary risk, but macro backdrop remains a cross‑current. Wall Street Roundup: Economic Data, Earnings Updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Broad market momentum — Commentary about the Dow passing 50,000 and an AI‑led bull market supports risk appetite broadly, which benefits cyclical industrials like CAT but may also price in further outperformance. Dow 50,000 Shows This AI-Led Bull Market Has Plenty Of Room To Run
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation/“priced-in” concerns and stock-specific risks — Some coverage warns that much of the AI benefit is already reflected in CAT’s share price and flags potential red flags (valuation, execution risk, or reliance on cyclical capex), which could amplify pullbacks if growth disappoints. Watch Out For These Red Flags In CAT 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.