Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Shares Bought by Merit Financial Group LLC

Merit Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,984 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 2,714 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $52,164,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Caterpillar by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 22,420 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $12,844,000 after buying an additional 604 shares during the period. Juno Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $877,000. DSG Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the first quarter worth $1,226,000. Cornerstone Planning LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth $4,517,000. Finally, RiverFront Investment Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 21.1% in the fourth quarter. RiverFront Investment Group LLC now owns 8,915 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $5,107,000 after acquiring an additional 1,552 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on CAT shares. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Caterpillar from $877.00 to $897.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price target on Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,103.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $995.52.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised earnings forecasts. Zacks Research increased its EPS projections across several periods, including FY2027 to $30.14 from $29.01 and FY2028 to $35.97 from $34.31. The firm maintained a “Strong-Buy” rating, signaling improved confidence in Caterpillar’s long-term earnings outlook. Zacks Research estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Growth momentum remains a supporting factor. A Zacks analysis said volume-driven growth is accelerating across Caterpillar’s three segments and prompted a sharp increase in its 2026 sales outlook. The company also announced a $3 million workforce investment in Arkansas, supporting local hiring and operations. Caterpillar volume gains analysis Caterpillar workforce initiative
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent gains may be prompting profit-taking. Commentary highlighted that CAT has risen sharply over the past year, increasing attention to valuation and how much future growth is already reflected in the stock. CAT stock performance analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Weak industrial data raised demand concerns. U.S. industrial production was weaker than expected in July, prompting investors to question whether Caterpillar’s record backlog can withstand a slowdown in industrial activity and equipment demand. Weaker U.S. industrial output analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Market-wide selling pressured CAT. Caterpillar and Goldman Sachs were cited as major drags on the Dow amid a pullback in AI-related and technology-linked trades. This appears to reflect broader risk reduction and sector rotation rather than a new company-specific operational setback. Dow market pressure

Caterpillar Trading Down 3.1%

NYSE CAT opened at $814.68 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $912.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $832.06. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $410.52 and a one year high of $1,073.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.37. The firm has a market cap of $374.49 billion, a PE ratio of 35.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.60.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $1.95. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.51% and a return on equity of 55.53%. The business had revenue of $20.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.34 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.72 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 23.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 26.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

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

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.