Caterpillar Inc. $CAT Holdings Cut by James Investment Research Inc.

James Investment Research Inc. trimmed its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 19,011 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,750 shares during the quarter. Caterpillar comprises 1.7% of James Investment Research Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest position. James Investment Research Inc.’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $15,414,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth about $40,457,153,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,818,150,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Caterpillar by 68,427.2% during the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,140,603 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,224,992,000 after purchasing an additional 3,136,020 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,192,710,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,783,451,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on CAT. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $749.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $1,100.00 to $950.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $970.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $877.00 to $897.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 10th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $967.83.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total transaction of $26,211,760.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,555 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,954,303.90. The trade was a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Caterpillar Trading Down 2.5%

Caterpillar stock opened at $686.52 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 1.37 and a quick ratio of 0.85. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $521.02 and a one year high of $1,073.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $315.57 billion, a PE ratio of 29.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.58. The business’s fifty day moving average is $798.82 and its 200 day moving average is $855.65.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.22 by $1.95. The business had revenue of $20.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.34 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 55.53% and a net margin of 14.51%. Caterpillar’s revenue was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.72 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.74 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 26th will be paid a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 26th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is currently 28.06%.

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Caterpillar to deliver year-over-year earnings growth in its upcoming third-quarter report. The company’s positive Earnings ESP and favorable estimate revisions suggest potential for an earnings beat, supported by manufacturing strength and demand for industrial equipment. Caterpillar Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Technical and fundamental indicators are encouraging some investors to view the recent decline as a buying opportunity. A hammer chart pattern points to possible support, while upward earnings-estimate revisions could help drive a near-term recovery. Bears Are Losing Control Over Caterpillar
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks lists Caterpillar among industrial companies with the potential to outperform third-quarter earnings expectations, reflecting continued confidence in the sector’s demand environment. Industrial Stocks Set to Outshine Q3 Earnings Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: The key catalyst is Caterpillar’s forthcoming quarterly report. Investors will focus on whether earnings growth, revenue momentum and management’s outlook validate the optimistic estimates. The company’s previous quarter featured a substantial earnings and revenue beat, providing a supportive comparison.
• Negative Sentiment: The recent selloff has materially weakened CAT’s momentum and caused it to underperform the S&P 500, with much of the decline concentrated in only a few trading sessions. Continued investor caution, profit-taking or disappointment in the upcoming report could keep pressure on the shares. Caterpillar Just Dropped 10% in a Month

Caterpillar Profile

Caterpillar Inc is a manufacturer of construction, mining, and industrial equipment. Its product portfolio includes excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, motor graders, articulated trucks, and other machinery used in construction, infrastructure development, mining, quarrying, forestry, and related industries. The company also produces diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, generator sets, and other power-generation and transportation equipment.

Caterpillar operates through businesses focused on construction industries, resource industries, and energy and transportation.