NJ State Employees Deferred Compensation Plan Invests $816,000 in Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

NJ State Employees Deferred Compensation Plan purchased a new stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 1,710 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $816,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of CAT. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 1,060.0% during the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 58 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. RiverPark Advisors LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Caterpillar

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar is being positioned as a supplier to the AI/data‑center buildout (generators, power systems and site infrastructure), which traders interpret as a structural growth tailwind beyond traditional construction and mining cycles. Caterpillar Rides AI Data Center Boom As Earnings Story Evolves
• Positive Sentiment: Public radio piece highlights how a century-old industrial firm (Caterpillar) is providing power solutions that high‑tech data centers need, reinforcing the narrative that CAT can capture durable aftermarket and electrification revenue from the data‑center market. High-tech data centers get a powerful assist from a century-old company
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed an earnings and revenue beat with strong margins (EPS and revenue above consensus; year‑over‑year revenue growth), supporting the thesis that Caterpillar’s profit outlook can improve as demand mix shifts. (Company results released Jan. 29; investors cite improved ROE and margin metrics.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage in a dividend‑stock roundup frames long‑term income investors’ interest in durable, cash‑generating industrials; this may attract dividend‑focused buyers but is unlikely to move the stock materially by itself. 2 Dividend Stocks to Hold for the Next 10 Years
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research lowered Q2 EPS estimates for Caterpillar, introducing short‑term downside risk to the shares if revisions continue; this helps explain some analyst caution despite the data‑center narrative. Q2 EPS Estimates for Caterpillar Lowered by Zacks Research
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is relatively rich (high P/E versus historical averages), so the stock’s upside could be sensitive to any slowdown in end markets or further estimate cuts; watch upcoming guidance and analyst revisions.

Caterpillar Price Performance

NYSE CAT opened at $774.37 on Tuesday. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1 year low of $267.30 and a 1 year high of $789.81. The business’s fifty day moving average is $637.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $544.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $362.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.44.

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

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CAT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Caterpillar from $700.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. DA Davidson increased their price target on Caterpillar from $569.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Robert W. Baird set a $805.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $735.00 to $825.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $702.95.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Denise C. Johnson sold 39,138 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $681.08, for a total value of $26,656,109.04. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 43,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,524,818. This trade represents a 47.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 6,033 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $722.15, for a total value of $4,356,730.95. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 41,151 shares in the company, valued at $29,717,194.65. The trade was a 12.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 130,545 shares of company stock worth $88,294,733 over the last three months. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.