Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) CEO Joseph Creed Sells 32,401 Shares

by · The Markets Daily

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) CEO Joseph Creed sold 32,401 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total transaction of $26,211,760.98. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,555 shares in the company, valued at $27,954,303.90. The trade was a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Caterpillar Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CAT opened at $778.59 on Wednesday. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $410.52 and a one year high of $1,073.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $357.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.50, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $885.31 and a 200-day simple moving average 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.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.22 by $1.95. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 55.53% and a net margin of 14.51%.The firm had revenue of $20.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.34 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.72 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.35 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

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

Caterpillar News Roundup

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

Institutional Trading of Caterpillar

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CAT. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its stake in Caterpillar by 105,696.1% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 747,331,911 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $795,833,752,000 after acquiring an additional 746,625,522 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the second quarter valued at about $40,457,153,000. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,388,550 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $20,273,039,000 after purchasing an additional 385,204 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 10,610,182 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,072,572,000 after purchasing an additional 94,524 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,493,266 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $5,438,408,000 after purchasing an additional 54,069 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on CAT. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $877.00 to $897.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $1,125.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $845.00 to $882.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Truist Financial set a $980.00 price objective on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Caterpillar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $995.52.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on CAT

Caterpillar Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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