Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Trading Down 1.5% Following Insider Selling

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)’s stock price dropped 1.5% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $750.38 and last traded at $752.9710. Approximately 2,494,192 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 17% from the average daily volume of 3,006,679 shares. The stock had previously closed at $764.76.

Specifically, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 972 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $764.20, for a total value of $742,802.40. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 824 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $629,700.80. This represents a 54.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 1,764 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $763.39, for a total value of $1,346,619.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,440 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,099,281.60. This trade represents a 55.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In related news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $776.90, for a total transaction of $6,130,517.90. Following the sale, the insider owned 46,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $36,236,946.70. This trade represents a 14.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $702.00 to $756.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. HSBC boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $660.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, CICC Research began coverage on Caterpillar in a report on Friday, February 6th. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $702.95.

Caterpillar News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar completed the acquisition of mining software firm RPMGlobal, expanding its data‑driven mining technology and software portfolio—a strategic move to boost recurring, higher‑margin services and digital solutions revenue. Caterpillar Bolsters Mining Technology Solutions with RPMGlobal Acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage highlights Caterpillar’s exposure to data‑center power and electrification demand—an attractive, long‑term growth market that could diversify revenue beyond heavy equipment. High‑tech data centers get a powerful assist from a century‑old company
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar presented at Barclays’ industrial conference; the transcript may contain management commentary on demand, margins and capital allocation—useful for guidance but not an immediate earnings surprise. Barclays 43rd Annual Industrial Select Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and feature pieces (Zacks, MarketBeat) are raising investor attention and highlighting Caterpillar vs. peers; this can affect sentiment and flows but doesn’t change fundamentals immediately. Caterpillar vs. Deere: Which Equipment Stock is a Better Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sales: Chief Accounting Officer William Schaupp sold 972 shares (filed with the SEC), reducing his stake significantly—multiple insider disposals can spook investors. SEC Filing – William E. Schaupp Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 1,764 shares (≈55% cut of his holding); another material insider reduction that can add short‑term selling pressure. SEC Filing – Rodney Michael Shurman Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Senior insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares (~$6.13M at ~\$776.90), trimming his position ~14.5%; a large, recent sale that investors often interpret as a near‑term negative signal. SEC Filing – Anthony D. Fassino Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered Q2 EPS estimates for Caterpillar, indicating softer near‑term earnings expectations—this analyst downgrade pressure can weigh on the stock until guidance or results change the outlook. Q2 EPS Estimates Lowered by Zacks Research

Caterpillar Trading Down 1.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $350.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.58. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $643.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $548.14.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Pacific Point Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at about $579,000. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 7,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,688,000 after acquiring an additional 2,519 shares during the period. United Bank grew its position in Caterpillar by 108.5% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 4,083 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,125 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 3.9% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,147 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,551,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the period. Finally, Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC lifted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 4.9% during the second quarter. Avidian Wealth Enterprises LLC now owns 4,141 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,607,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.