Truist Financial Issues Positive Forecast for Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Stock Price

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) had its price target upped by Truist Financial from $729.00 to $786.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. Truist Financial currently has a buy rating on the industrial products company’s stock.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on CAT. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price target on Caterpillar from $420.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $678.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Friday. Bank of America increased their target price on Caterpillar from $708.00 to $735.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. DA Davidson raised their price target on Caterpillar from $408.00 to $569.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $805.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $678.29.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of CAT stock opened at $690.71 on Monday. Caterpillar has a 12 month low of $267.30 and a 12 month high of $691.38. The stock has a market cap of $323.24 billion, a PE ratio of 36.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.58. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $606.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $522.53. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $5.14 earnings per share. Caterpillar’s quarterly revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Caterpillar will post 19.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.09%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $575.06, for a total transaction of $5,750,600.00. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Jason Kaiser sold 10,707 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $563.60, for a total value of $6,034,465.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 8,649 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,874,576.40. The trade was a 55.32% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 54,729 shares of company stock valued at $31,084,308 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 36,842.1% in 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 in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,165,899,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 3,949.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,228,058 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,494,568,000 after buying an additional 5,098,964 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in Caterpillar by 1,851.8% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,830,414 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $873,382,000 after buying an additional 1,736,631 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in Caterpillar by 425.2% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 761,800 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $295,738,000 after acquiring an additional 616,739 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Caterpillar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Earnings beat and commentary point to stronger demand from data centers, reinforcing revenue/earnings upside and durability of higher‑margin power systems sales. Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) Earnings Beat Backed Up by Data Center Power Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Deal to supply power solutions for Monarch AI campus highlights a new, durable revenue stream from hyperscale/AI data centers — a market with long equipment lifecycles and recurring service. Caterpillar Taps AI Data Center Power Demand With Monarch Campus Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness: Truist raised its price target substantially and kept a buy rating, signaling institutional confidence in growth and margins. The Fly: Truist price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup also raised its price target and maintains a buy rating, adding to momentum from multiple firms upgrading valuation expectations. Benzinga: Citigroup raises Caterpillar price target
• Positive Sentiment: Additional price‑target lift from other outlets (e.g., American Banking News) underscores broader analyst re‑rating following the quarter and data‑center commentary. Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Price Target Raised to $735.00
• Positive Sentiment: Product refresh: launch of the 308CR mini excavator supports ongoing share and rental market activity in compact equipment. Product news helps aftermarket/service revenue over time. Cat debuts new 308CR mini excavator
• Neutral Sentiment: Inclusion in industry coverage pieces (railroad equipment & leasing lists) is background positive for sector positioning but is unlikely to move the stock materially on its own. Top 5 Railroad Equipment & Railcar Leasing Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: DA Davidson raised its target but kept a neutral rating and its target implies downside versus the current price — a reminder that not all analysts are projecting further near‑term upside. DA Davidson price target note

Caterpillar Company 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.