Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-five analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and sixteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $862.3182.
CAT has been the topic of several recent research reports. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $677.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Friday, February 6th. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $860.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, January 7th.
View Our Latest Research Report on CAT
Caterpillar Price Performance
Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.65 by $0.89. The business had revenue of $17.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.53 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The company’s revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.25 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Caterpillar will post 23.08 earnings per share for the current year.
Caterpillar Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 20th will be given a dividend of $1.51 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 20th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.06%.
Insider Activity
In other news, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $720.11, for a total transaction of $16,314,812.16. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares in the company, valued at $57,574,954.83. This represents a 22.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 7,891 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $776.90, for a total value of $6,130,517.90. Following the sale, the insider owned 46,643 shares in the company, valued at approximately $36,236,946.70. This represents a 14.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 60,164 shares of company stock valued at $43,748,068. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CAT. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 7.3% in the third quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 17,262 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $8,237,000 after buying an additional 1,181 shares in the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC purchased a new stake in Caterpillar in the third quarter worth approximately $8,893,000. ZEGA Investments LLC boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 149.6% in the third quarter. ZEGA Investments LLC now owns 4,184 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,996,000 after buying an additional 2,508 shares in the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 2.5% in the third quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 165,677 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $79,053,000 after buying an additional 4,010 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Juno Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $877,000. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
More Caterpillar News
Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar beat Q1 revenue and EPS expectations and reported a record backlog, driven by higher volume and pricing across construction and power systems — a core reason the stock rallied after earnings. Caterpillar expects AI-driven demand for power, construction to fuel growth — Reuters
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts sharply raised price targets and upgraded ratings (JPMorgan, Jefferies, Wells Fargo, Baird, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley among others), signaling renewed street confidence and creating upward momentum for the stock. Morgan Stanley Doubles Price Target to $915 — 247WallSt
- Positive Sentiment: Demand tied to AI/data-center buildouts is boosting Cat’s power and energy backlog; management is raising 2030 targets and plans to roughly triple power-generation capacity, which supports a multi-year growth runway beyond cyclical construction. Caterpillar to triple power generation capacity — Yahoo Finance
- Positive Sentiment: Market narrative has shifted: short interest and skeptical bears are receding as the AI-power story gains traction, amplifying upside as skeptics fold. Caterpillar’s biggest bear folds as AI power demand soars — Mining.com
- Positive Sentiment: Strategic partnerships (e.g., framework with ProPetro’s PROPWR) and large supply agreements for data-center and industrial power strengthen the revenue mix in higher-margin power systems. Caterpillar taps PROPWR and data centers — Yahoo Finance
- Neutral Sentiment: Technical momentum is strong (IBD composite rating surged toward the top of the universe) and the company announced a virtual annual shareholder meeting; these are market-interest and governance items rather than direct catalysts. IBD Composite Rating Surges — Yahoo/IBD
- Negative Sentiment: Management warned of significant tariff costs for 2026 — a $2.2B–$2.4B range — that will pressure margins and partially offset revenue strength; investors should watch margin trends and any changes to the tariff outlook. Caterpillar signals tariff cost range and 2026 sales growth — Seeking Alpha
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.
Further Reading
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