West Family Investments Inc. Acquires Shares of 1,461 Caterpillar Inc. $CAT

West Family Investments Inc. bought a new position in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 1,461 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,556,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CAT. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. lifted its holdings in Caterpillar by 440.0% during the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 93.8% in the 2nd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 31 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 15 shares during the period. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter worth $36,000. Lam Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the first quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Tacita Capital Inc acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter valued at $47,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Caterpillar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings expectations: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS forecast for Caterpillar to $27.50 from $24.78, above the current analyst consensus of $27.14. The firm maintains a “Hold” rating, so the estimate increase is positive but not a strong bullish endorsement. Erste Group Bank Predicts Stronger Earnings for Caterpillar
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable: Caterpillar has received a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, while a separate analysis highlighted the stock as a potential beneficiary of improving industrial activity. However, brokerage recommendations can be overly optimistic and may have limited immediate impact. Caterpillar Receives Consensus Rating of Moderate Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Improving durable-goods demand: July durable-goods orders increased 1.1%, supporting the view that a manufacturing recovery could benefit Caterpillar’s equipment demand and broader industrial stocks. 4 Industrial Stocks to Grab on Robust Jump in Durable Goods Orders
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are watching the pullback: Commentary focused on Caterpillar’s recent decline, suggesting the stock’s technical performance and elevated valuation remain important considerations even after strong quarterly earnings. Why We’re Watching the Caterpillar Stock Pullback
• Negative Sentiment: Market-wide pressure: Caterpillar was among the stocks weighing on the Dow as investors reduced exposure to major companies, indicating that broader market sentiment—not just company-specific fundamentals—is contributing to the weakness. NVIDIA Corp., Caterpillar Share Losses Lead Dow’s Fall
• Negative Sentiment: CEO insider selling: CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares for approximately $26.2 million, reducing his position by 48.39%. The sale may concern investors, although insider transactions can reflect personal financial planning rather than a change in the company’s outlook. SEC Insider Transaction Filing

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total value 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 approximately $27,954,303.90. The trade was a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of NYSE:CAT opened at $778.59 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $885.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $838.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.37. The company has a market capitalization of $357.89 billion, a PE ratio of 33.50, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.60. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52 week low of $410.52 and a 52 week high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly 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. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.51% and a return on equity of 55.53%. The company had revenue of $20.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.34 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.72 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 23.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This is a boost from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 20th. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.06%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CAT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird set a $970.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $900.00 to $925.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $845.00 to $882.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, HSBC raised their price target on Caterpillar from $850.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $995.52.

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.