QRG Capital Management Inc. Purchases 4,313 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 4.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 95,917 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,313 shares during the quarter. Caterpillar makes up about 0.7% of QRG Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $67,953,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Lam Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Caterpillar by 220.0% during the fourth 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 bought a new position in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Caterpillar by 47.4% in the fourth quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 56 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 15,674 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $918.71, for a total transaction of $14,399,860.54. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 16,283 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $916.80, for a total transaction of $14,928,254.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 46,041 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,210,388.80. The trade was a 26.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 95,773 shares of company stock worth $87,642,635. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:CAT opened at $965.44 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $388.09 and a 52-week high of $1,073.46. The stock has a market cap of $444.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.06, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.57. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $918.32 and a 200-day moving average price of $769.03.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its 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 firm had revenue of $17.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.25 earnings per share. Caterpillar’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 24.71 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be issued a $1.63 dividend. This is an increase from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is currently 30.06%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CAT has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $790.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. HSBC upped their price objective on Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Williams Trading set a $825.00 target price on Caterpillar in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Wolfe Research boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $670.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $949.41.

More Caterpillar News

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

Caterpillar 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.