Moran Wealth Management LLC Reduces Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Moran Wealth Management LLC cut its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 59,357 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,005 shares during the quarter. Caterpillar accounts for 0.9% of Moran Wealth Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Moran Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $28,322,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Compass Financial Services Inc grew its stake in Caterpillar by 49.2% during the 1st quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc now owns 94 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, RiverPark Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on CAT shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wolfe Research upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $470.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Bank of America raised their target price on Caterpillar from $594.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $513.00 to $645.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $618.70.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Jason Kaiser sold 10,707 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $563.60, for a total transaction of $6,034,465.20. Following the sale, the insider owned 8,649 shares in the company, valued at $4,874,576.40. The trade was a 55.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 45,460 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,142,227.60. This trade represents a 18.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 71,895 shares of company stock valued at $39,758,116 over the last 90 days. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Caterpillar Trading Down 4.2%

Caterpillar stock opened at $596.64 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $279.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.57. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1 year low of $267.30 and a 1 year high of $627.50. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $577.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $490.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.38.

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

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be issued 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 News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Launched Cat AI Assistant and committed $25M to workforce/innovation — positions Caterpillar to monetize AI-enabled services across sales, maintenance and fleet management, a high‑margin recurring revenue avenue. Caterpillar Unveils AI-Powered Future and Invests in the Workforce Building It
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded collaboration with NVIDIA to add edge/physical AI and robotics to machines and factories — could accelerate time‑to‑revenue for autonomy and data services across construction, mining and power customers. Caterpillar Teams With NVIDIA to Revolutionize Heavy Industry with Physical AI and Robotics
• Positive Sentiment: Unveiled next‑generation autonomy deployments (including first quarry deployment) and machine previews at CES — visibility on commercial autonomy rollouts supports upgradeable hardware + software/service revenue mix. Caterpillar Unveils the Next Era of Autonomy in Construction
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Joe Creed elected chairman (Umpleby retiring April 1) — smooth leadership transition reduces governance uncertainty but is largely neutral for near‑term operations. Caterpillar Chief Executive Officer Joe Creed Elected Chairman of the Board
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity (large call buying) indicates speculative bullish positioning that can amplify intraday moves but is ambiguous for fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: CFO Andrew Bonfield sold 10,000 shares late‑Dec (SEC filing) — can be interpreted as executive profit‑taking amid a strong rally. Andrew Bonfield Sells 10,000 Shares of Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and some analyst caution after a large run‑up: outlets note gains may be priced in and recommend consolidation/holds for now. Caterpillar Roars On AI Power Demand, But Easy Money Has Been Made (Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Minor institutional trimming reported (Asset Management One) — small signal of portfolio rebalancing after strong performance. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Reduces Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

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.