Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Purchases 1,181 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 7.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 17,262 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,181 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $8,237,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Caterpillar by 1,060.0% during the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 58 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. RiverPark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Caterpillar during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in Caterpillar during the third quarter worth about $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on CAT. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $678.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, January 30th. HSBC lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $660.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Evercore increased their target price on Caterpillar from $476.00 to $630.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $702.95.

Caterpillar Stock Up 2.1%

Caterpillar stock opened at $774.37 on Friday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12 month low of $267.30 and a 12 month high of $789.81. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $634.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $540.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The firm has a market cap of $362.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.15, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.58.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.67 by $0.49. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $5.14 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.09%.

Trending Headlines about Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI/data-center demand — Reports note that AI-driven capital expenditures (hyperscaler data-center construction and mining electrification) are boosting demand for large construction and mining equipment, a structural tailwind for Caterpillar’s sales and backlog. Caterpillar Rides AI Data Center Boom With Priced In Expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price-target lift — Bank of America raised its price target (and an upgrade triggered a new 1‑year high mention), adding buy-side momentum and validating higher valuations for CAT. Bank of America Raises Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Price Target to $825.00
• Positive Sentiment: Upgraded earnings estimates — Zacks refreshed its model, raising Q1 and multi‑year EPS forecasts for CAT (FY2026–FY2028), which supports higher forward earnings multiples and gives investors conviction about near‑term profitability. The Zacks Analyst Alphabet, Caterpillar,T-Mobile US and Onfolio
• Positive Sentiment: Market leadership / headline performance — Coverage and headlines highlight CAT as a top contributor to the Dow’s gains, which can attract momentum flows and index-related buying. Why Caterpillar’s Stock Is Benefiting From the AI Boom
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro data mixed — Recent reports show stronger January jobs but downward revisions to 2025 job growth and lingering inflation above 2%. That creates uncertainty around Fed policy; durable capex demand can offset tighter monetary risk, but macro backdrop remains a cross‑current. Wall Street Roundup: Economic Data, Earnings Updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Broad market momentum — Commentary about the Dow passing 50,000 and an AI‑led bull market supports risk appetite broadly, which benefits cyclical industrials like CAT but may also price in further outperformance. Dow 50,000 Shows This AI-Led Bull Market Has Plenty Of Room To Run
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation/“priced-in” concerns and stock-specific risks — Some coverage warns that much of the AI benefit is already reflected in CAT’s share price and flags potential red flags (valuation, execution risk, or reliance on cyclical capex), which could amplify pullbacks if growth disappoints. Watch Out For These Red Flags In CAT Stock

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 6,033 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $722.15, for a total value of $4,356,730.95. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 41,151 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,717,194.65. The trade was a 12.79% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 39,138 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $681.08, for a total value of $26,656,109.04. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 43,350 shares in the company, valued at $29,524,818. The trade was a 47.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 130,545 shares of company stock valued at $88,294,733. Insiders own 0.33% 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.