Davidson Capital Management Inc. Boosts Holdings in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Davidson Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,789 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the quarter. Caterpillar comprises about 0.8% of Davidson Capital Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Davidson Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $3,412,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Compass Financial Services Inc boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 49.2% during the 1st quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc now owns 94 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. Harbor Asset Planning Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the second quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Total Wealth Planning & Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at $38,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In other news, Director David Maclennan purchased 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $568.86 per share, for a total transaction of $170,658.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 7,947 shares in the company, valued at $4,520,730.42. This trade represents a 3.92% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 2,324 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $410.00, for a total transaction of $952,840.00. Following the sale, the director owned 6,917 shares in the company, valued at $2,835,970. The trade was a 25.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 69,662 shares of company stock worth $33,575,140 in the last quarter. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Caterpillar Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of Caterpillar stock opened at $570.99 on Tuesday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $267.30 and a 1-year high of $596.21. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $494.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $421.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $267.21 billion, a PE ratio of 29.31, a P/E/G ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.51.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The industrial products company reported $4.95 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.52 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $17.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.72 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 47.16% and a net margin of 14.34%.Caterpillar’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $5.17 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 20th will be given a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, October 20th. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is presently 31.01%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $485.00 to $555.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $570.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $570.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Caterpillar from $650.00 to $730.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $596.59.

Caterpillar Company Profile

Caterpillar Inc manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives in worldwide. Its Construction Industries segment offers asphalt pavers, compactors, road reclaimers, forestry machines, cold planers, material handlers, track-type tractors, excavators, telehandlers, motor graders, and pipelayers; compact track, wheel, track-type, backhoe, and skid steer loaders; and related parts and tools.