Smith Salley Wealth Management Raises Stock Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Smith Salley Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 9.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,377 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,509 shares during the period. Smith Salley Wealth Management’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $12,311,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Caterpillar by 220.0% during the fourth quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Caterpillar by 47.4% in the fourth 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. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar was highlighted by Zacks as one of five non-tech “wide moat” stocks to own for a stable second half of 2026, reinforcing the view that CAT has durable competitive advantages and can be a defensive portfolio holding. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles noted that CAT was one of the day’s top industrial stocks to watch and an outperforming Dow name, which can attract momentum buyers and support the shares. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage emphasized Caterpillar’s strong earnings-based run, with the stock rising sharply on heavier-than-average volume after investors reacted favorably to its latest results and bullish price action. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary said CAT remains a “Moderate Buy,” which supports sentiment but does not by itself add a new catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: One Zacks note warned that earnings estimate revisions may not support continued near-term gains, suggesting the stock could face some consolidation after its recent surge. Article Title

Caterpillar Trading Up 0.2%

Caterpillar stock opened at $987.79 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $875.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $741.59. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52 week low of $357.73 and a 52 week high of $994.49. The stock has a market cap of $454.97 billion, a PE ratio of 49.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.33% and a return on equity of 48.21%. The company had revenue of $17.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.25 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This is a positive change from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is currently 30.06%.

Insider Activity

In other Caterpillar news, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 12,605 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $907.91, for a total value of $11,444,205.55. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 49,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $45,236,615.75. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $922.92, for a total value of $22,354,968.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 86,029 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $79,397,884.68. This trade represents a 21.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $915.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. HSBC raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $960.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Williams Trading set a $825.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Oppenheimer set a $980.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $935.09.

Caterpillar 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.