Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) Shares Acquired by Zhang Financial LLC

Zhang Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 7.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 6,593 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 456 shares during the period. Zhang Financial LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $1,949,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in Caterpillar by 272.4% during the 1st quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 108 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the period. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Caterpillar by 730.8% during the 1st quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 108 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. Gilfoyle & Co LLC purchased a new stake in Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. A.P. Gilfoyle & Co. L.P. purchased a new stake in Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, First Capital Advisors Group LLC. acquired a new position in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 70.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

Caterpillar stock traded down $2.36 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $354.27. 1,624,312 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,422,820. The stock has a market cap of $176.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.35. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $204.04 and a 52-week high of $382.01. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $345.95 and its 200 day moving average is $297.21.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The industrial products company reported $5.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.76 by $0.47. The business had revenue of $17.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.06 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 15.41% and a return on equity of 56.99%. The business’s revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.86 EPS. Analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 21.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 22nd will be issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 19th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.47%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is presently 25.82%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 4,575 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $329.80, for a total transaction of $1,508,835.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 23,474 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,741,725.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Caterpillar news, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.10, for a total transaction of $3,101,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 57,317 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,774,001.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Anthony D. Fassino sold 4,575 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $329.80, for a total transaction of $1,508,835.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 23,474 shares in the company, valued at $7,741,725.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 45,769 shares of company stock worth $14,509,306. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on CAT. Evercore ISI cut shares of Caterpillar from an “outperform” rating to an “in-line” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $321.00 to $338.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $385.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $255.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $357.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Monday, January 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $270.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $307.56.

About Caterpillar

Caterpillar Inc manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives in worldwide. Its Construction Industries segment offers asphalt pavers, compactors, road reclaimers, forestry machines, cold planers, material handlers, track-type tractors, excavators, telehandlers, motor graders, and pipelayers; compact track, wheel, track-type, backhoe, and skid steer loaders; and related parts and tools.