Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) Stock Position Lifted by Ausdal Financial Partners Inc.

Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. lifted its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 0.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 68,900 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. Caterpillar makes up about 2.8% of Ausdal Financial Partners Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc.’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $26,948,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Richardson Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Thompson Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Caterpillar during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Fairman Group LLC acquired a new stake in Caterpillar during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on CAT shares. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Raymond James began coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, June 28th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $338.00 to $321.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 19th. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $399.00 target price (up previously from $390.00) on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $339.94.

Caterpillar Stock Up 1.5 %

Caterpillar stock traded up $5.75 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $396.84. The company had a trading volume of 1,675,349 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,668,227. The stock has a market cap of $194.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.92, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1 year low of $223.76 and a 1 year high of $397.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The business has a fifty day moving average of $351.52 and a 200 day moving average of $348.09.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The industrial products company reported $5.99 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.53 by $0.46. The company had revenue of $16.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.91 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 16.58% and a return on equity of 59.88%. The firm’s revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.55 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 21.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, June 12th that permits the company to buyback $20.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to reacquire up to 12.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other Caterpillar news, Director Gerald Johnson bought 100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 4th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $338.59 per share, for a total transaction of $33,859.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,842 shares in the company, valued at approximately $962,272.78. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, insider Cheryl H. Johnson sold 2,975 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $342.48, for a total value of $1,018,878.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,615 shares in the company, valued at $5,347,825.20. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Gerald Johnson bought 100 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 4th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $338.59 per share, with a total value of $33,859.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 2,842 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $962,272.78. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 7,668 shares of company stock worth $2,665,760. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

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.