Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Stock Price Down 2.4% Following Insider Selling

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)’s share price fell 2.4% during mid-day trading on Tuesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $774.55 and last traded at $778.59. 2,943,217 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 2% from the average session volume of 2,889,508 shares. The stock had previously closed at $797.47.

Specifically, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total value of $26,211,760.98. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 34,555 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,954,303.90. The trade was a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on CAT shares. Barclays lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $800.00 to $900.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,118.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $950.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $1,050.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $900.00 to $925.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $995.52.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its fiscal 2026 EPS forecast for Caterpillar to $27.50 from $24.78, above the current analyst consensus of $27.14. The firm nevertheless kept a “Hold” rating. Erste Group Bank Predicts Stronger Earnings for Caterpillar
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains generally favorable, with Caterpillar receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an optimistic average brokerage recommendation. These ratings may help support the stock, though sell-side recommendations can be biased toward positive views. Caterpillar Receives Consensus Rating of Moderate Buy
• Positive Sentiment: July durable-goods orders rose 1.1%, highlighting potential strengthening in manufacturing activity. Caterpillar was identified as one of several industrial stocks that could benefit from a manufacturing rebound. Industrial Stocks and Durable Goods Orders
• Neutral Sentiment: A commentary on Caterpillar’s pullback is drawing investor attention, but the available report does not identify a new fundamental catalyst or specific price target. Why We’re Watching the Caterpillar Stock Pullback
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares worth approximately $26.2 million, reducing his position by 48.39%. While the transaction may be routine or personal, investors can interpret a large executive sale as a negative near-term sentiment signal. SEC Insider Trading Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Caterpillar was among the leading decliners in a broader Dow selloff, with losses in CAT and NVIDIA contributing materially to the index’s weakness. This indicates that today’s pressure is partly market-wide rather than solely company-specific. NVIDIA and Caterpillar Lead Dow Decline

Caterpillar Price Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $889.47 and a 200-day moving average of $838.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $357.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.50, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.22 by $1.95. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.51% and a return on equity of 55.53%. The firm had revenue of $20.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.34 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.72 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th were given a $1.63 dividend. This is a boost from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 20th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.06%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Caterpillar by 0.7% during the second quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,635 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,741,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Inspirion Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Caterpillar by 1.2% in the second quarter. Inspirion Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 944 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $936,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Bell Bank increased its position in Caterpillar by 0.6% in the second quarter. Bell Bank now owns 1,865 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,986,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Cornerstone Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Caterpillar by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC now owns 1,818 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,288,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Resource Group lifted its position in Caterpillar by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Advisory Resource Group now owns 1,632 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $935,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s 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.