Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 20,910 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Principal Financial Group Inc. cut its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 3.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 566,459 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 20,910 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $324,507,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 1,060.0% in the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 58 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Caterpillar during the third quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Caterpillar by 47.4% during the 4th quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Caterpillar Stock Up 3.4%

Shares of Caterpillar stock opened at $904.60 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market cap of $416.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.03, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.63. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $749.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $659.59. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1 year low of $318.11 and a 1 year high of $908.90.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. The company had revenue of $17.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. Caterpillar’s revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.25 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 23.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be issued a $1.51 dividend. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In related news, insider Jason Kaiser sold 5,642 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $883.03, for a total value of $4,982,055.26. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 9,594 shares in the company, valued at $8,471,789.82. This trade represents a 37.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 2,500 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $718.93, for a total transaction of $1,797,325.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 35,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,222,221.19. The trade was a 6.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 49,736 shares of company stock valued at $37,401,255. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings and outlook: CAT posted a sizable Q1 beat, with revenue and EPS above estimates and rising backlog, which underpins management’s constructive outlook and is a primary driver of investor enthusiasm. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Caterpillar Stock Post Q1 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/price target lift: Argus raised its price target to $990 and maintained a buy rating, providing fresh analyst support that helps justify higher multiples. Argus adjusts price target on Caterpillar to $990
• Positive Sentiment: AI / data‑center narrative: Multiple outlets are framing Caterpillar as an AI‑infrastructure beneficiary (power, generators, hyperscale demand), which has re-rated the stock and attracted momentum buying. This thematic shift is amplifying gains beyond cyclical construction/mining drivers. Industrial-Strength Rally: Why Caterpillar Is Up 53%…
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate wins / tech sales: Carmeuse selected Caterpillar’s autonomous hauling solution (adoption of CAT autonomy in mining/quarrying) and Cat’s electric power products are gaining spotlight—both support incremental revenue and product diversification. Carmeuse selects Caterpillar’s autonomous hauling solution
• Positive Sentiment: Director buy: Director David Maclennan purchased 250 shares, a modest insider buy that provides a supportive signal to investors. SEC filing: Director purchase
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst posture: DA Davidson raised its price target but maintained a neutral rating, suggesting some analysts see limited near‑term upside from current levels. DA Davidson adjusts price target on Caterpillar to $845
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and media attention: Rising options activity and extensive media coverage (trending pieces, Zacks features) are increasing short‑term volatility and attention but don’t change fundamentals by themselves. Do Options Traders Know Something About Caterpillar Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: An insider (Jason Kaiser) sold 5,642 shares for roughly $5M, trimming his position by ~37%, which some investors may view as a cautionary signal despite other positive indicators. SEC filing: Insider sale

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on CAT. Raymond James Financial reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $769.00 to $879.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. HSBC raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $660.00 to $850.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research lifted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $878.91.

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.