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 trading volume, of 3,983,183 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days. Approximately 2.2% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 2.2% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,983,183 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Caterpillar Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:CAT traded down $10.40 on Friday, hitting $742.53. The company had a trading volume of 3,440,668 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,250,569. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $667.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $564.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $345.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. Caterpillar has a 1 year low of $267.30 and a 1 year high of $789.81.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 45.76%. The company had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $5.14 earnings per share. Caterpillar’s quarterly revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Caterpillar will post 19.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

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

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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CAT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. CICC Research initiated coverage on Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, February 6th. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $610.00 to $625.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $729.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $640.00 to $790.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Argus increased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $625.00 to $820.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $712.52.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

In related news, insider Lange Bob De sold 22,656 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $720.11, for a total transaction of $16,314,812.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares in the company, valued at $57,574,954.83. The trade was a 22.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Rodney Michael Shurman sold 2,278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $759.61, for a total value of $1,730,391.58. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 1,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,096,117.23. The trade was a 61.22% decrease in their position. 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 in the last ninety days. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Caterpillar

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAT. Instrumental Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth about $158,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 297.0% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 667 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $382,000 after acquiring an additional 499 shares in the last quarter. OakTrust Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth about $260,000. TD Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. TD Capital Management LLC now owns 549 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $315,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tempo Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $740,000. 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.