Simplify Asset Management Inc. Makes New Investment in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

Simplify Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 574 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $407,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of CAT. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new position in Caterpillar in the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the period. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 47.4% during the 4th quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

NYSE CAT opened at $965.44 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $918.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $769.03. The stock has a market cap of $444.67 billion, a PE ratio of 48.06, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.35. Caterpillar Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $388.09 and a fifty-two week high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.65 by $0.89. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 48.21% and a net margin of 13.33%.The company had revenue of $17.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.25 EPS. Caterpillar’s revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a $1.63 dividend. This is a boost from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is 30.06%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Lange Bob De sold 24,222 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $922.92, for a total value of $22,354,968.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 86,029 shares in the company, valued at $79,397,884.68. This trade represents a 21.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total transaction of $14,399,860.54. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,935 shares in the company, valued at $48,631,913.85. The trade was a 22.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 95,773 shares of company stock valued at $87,642,635. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CAT has been the topic of several analyst reports. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $930.00 to $989.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Caterpillar from $769.00 to $879.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Argus lifted their price target on Caterpillar from $820.00 to $990.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $900.00 to $1,045.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $949.41.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target on Caterpillar to $1,218 from $1,043 and kept a buy rating, reinforcing bullish sentiment around the stock’s earnings and growth outlook. Article Link
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports highlighted Caterpillar as a momentum, long-term, and “trending” stock, suggesting investor interest remains strong and could help keep shares elevated. Article Link
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators pointed to Caterpillar’s role in powering data centers and other AI-related infrastructure, a theme that has helped explain the stock’s strong run. Article Link
• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar also received fresh praise for strong backlog, earnings growth, and long-term expansion plans, which supports the case for continued upside. Article Link
• Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar announced a $5 million investment in Texas workforce training and manufacturing education, a positive long-term initiative but not likely a major near-term stock driver. Article Link
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street analyst coverage remains broadly optimistic, with multiple articles noting favorable average brokerage recommendations, though these do not always translate into reliable signals. Article Link
• Negative Sentiment: Michael Burry disclosed a first-ever short position in Caterpillar, arguing the stock’s AI-linked rally may have stretched valuation too far; that news is likely the main source of pressure on shares today. Article Link

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.