Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) Short Interest Update

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) saw a significant growth in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 10,003,029 shares, a growth of 61.1% from the January 29th total of 6,208,435 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,983,183 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days. Approximately 2.2% of the company’s stock are short sold. Approximately 2.2% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 3,983,183 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days.

Caterpillar News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $870, citing continued momentum and demand drivers that support higher valuations for CAT. Wells Fargo Raises Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Price Target to $870.00
• Positive Sentiment: Daiwa Securities also lifted its price target to $790, adding to analyst bullishness and reinforcing upside expectations from peers. Daiwa Securities Group Raises Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Price Target to $790.00
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlights CAT as a beneficiary of AI-related capex (data center construction) and sustained infrastructure/mining demand — a thematic tailwind supporting long-term revenue and equipment replacement cycles. Does Caterpillar’s AI Power Deal And Record Results Redefine The Bull Case For CAT?
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile investors/commentators (Jim Cramer) and strategists are publicly backing CAT as a “hard asset” play tied to construction and AI-related buildout, bolstering retail/institutional interest. Jim Cramer on Caterpillar: “We Like Their Stuff”
• Neutral Sentiment: Research reports forecast solid market expansion in mining trucks, rock drilling and tunneling equipment through 2030, identifying CAT as a key market leader — supportive for long-term demand but not an immediate catalyst. Mining Truck Industry Report 2026-2035
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate activity: CAT hosted its Global Technician Finals and is rolling out a redesigned rental management experience; these operational initiatives improve service/aftermarket positioning but are incremental. Caterpillar hosts its Global Technician Finals in Peoria
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar and BST invested in ElevenEs (electrification/technology), a strategic move toward EV/efficiency solutions that supports medium-term product mix shifts. Caterpillar and BST invest in ElevenEs
• Negative Sentiment: Today’s share weakness is partly tied to broader market pressure: the Dow fell with losses in Nvidia and Caterpillar cited among decliners, which knocked CAT lower. Dow’s 131-point fall led by losses in NVIDIA Corp., Caterpillar shares
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose sharply in February (≈61% month-over-month growth to ~10M shares), indicating increased bearish positioning that can amplify near-term downside volatility.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Shares of CAT stock traded down $10.40 on Friday, hitting $742.53. 3,440,668 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,250,569. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $667.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $564.61. Caterpillar has a one year low of $267.30 and a one year high of $789.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $345.49 billion, a PE ratio of 39.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.81 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $5.14 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Caterpillar will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 20th were issued a $1.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 32.09%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on CAT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $740.00 to $765.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $750.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $677.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Robert W. Baird set a $805.00 target price on Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $640.00 to $790.00 in a report on Wednesday. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $712.52.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In related news, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $575.06, for a total transaction of $5,750,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 45,460 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,142,227.60. This represents a 18.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $720.11, for a total value of $16,314,812.16. Following the transaction, the insider owned 79,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $57,574,954.83. This trade represents a 22.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 143,450 shares of company stock valued at $98,245,065 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CAT. Advisory Resource Group boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Advisory Resource Group now owns 1,632 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $935,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the period. Invst LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Invst LLC now owns 753 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $431,000 after buying an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Plancorp LLC boosted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Plancorp LLC now owns 2,777 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,591,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares during the period. BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Caterpillar by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,192 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $683,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KDT Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. KDT Advisors LLC now owns 657 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $376,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

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.