Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC Reduces Position in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 59.0% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,483 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 7,885 shares during the quarter. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $2,616,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 2.3% in the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,418,321 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,656,286,000 after purchasing an additional 208,196 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at about $2,165,899,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 20.7% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,553,930 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,695,757,000 after acquiring an additional 609,023 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Caterpillar by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,337,915 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,295,432,000 after purchasing an additional 33,467 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 4.5% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,282,720 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,274,385,000 after purchasing an additional 140,784 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Trading Up 3.4%

NYSE:CAT opened at $704.10 on Tuesday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12 month low of $267.30 and a 12 month high of $789.81. 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 company has a 50-day moving average price of $683.98 and a 200-day moving average price of $578.41. The stock has a market cap of $327.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.53.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 45.76% and a net margin of 13.14%.The business had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.14 EPS. The business’s 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 year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th were given a $1.51 dividend. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is currently 32.09%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on CAT. Argus raised their price target on Caterpillar from $625.00 to $820.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wolfe Research upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $470.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Caterpillar from $785.00 to $825.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $726.00.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target to $785 and kept a “buy” rating, lending credibility to further upside from current levels. Benzinga / MarketScreener – Citigroup adjusts price target
• Positive Sentiment: Two separate outlets reported higher analyst price targets ($817 and $825), signaling continued analyst optimism and potential upside in consensus estimates. Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Price Target Raised to $817.00
• Positive Sentiment: Another reported price-target lift to $825 reinforces the analyst momentum behind the stock. Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Price Target Raised to $825.00
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage notes Caterpillar as a long-term favorite trading near 52-week highs, reflecting ongoing demand and bullish technical trends that can attract momentum buyers. Zacks – 2 Long Term Favorite Stocks Trading Near 52-Week Highs
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar highlighted new heavy electric-drive dozer technology, supporting its transition into electrified equipment and potential new market openings. Product innovation can support premium valuation over time. Electrek – CAT puts century-old tech to work in its newest, heaviest electric drive dozer
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Ogi Redzic discussed AI, data and industrial innovation—an operational narrative that supports margin expansion and aftermarket/service growth if executed. Investors often reward tech-enabled efficiency gains. Forbes – Caterpillar’s Ogi Redzic On AI, Data And Industrial Innovation
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis pieces are debating valuation after a short-term pullback: some view the drop as a buying opportunity given multi-year returns, others warn of overvaluation — this keeps sentiment mixed near current levels. Yahoo Finance – Assessing Caterpillar’s Valuation After Recent Share Price Weakness
• Neutral Sentiment: Opinion pieces pose the classic “buy the dip or book profits” question; they increase volatility by prompting both profit-taking and dip-buying among different investor cohorts. Forbes – CAT Stock Pullback: Time To Buy The Dip Or Book Profits?
• Negative Sentiment: The CEO reported a personal sale of roughly $1.8M in Caterpillar stock; insider sales can be interpreted negatively by some investors even if they are routine or pre-scheduled. Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) CEO Sells $1,797,325.00 in Stock

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 2,278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $759.61, for a total transaction of $1,730,391.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,443 shares in the company, valued at $1,096,117.23. This trade represents a 61.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 972 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $764.20, for a total transaction of $742,802.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 824 shares in the company, valued at approximately $629,700.80. This represents a 54.12% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 135,950 shares of company stock valued at $94,327,990. Company insiders own 0.33% 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.