Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) is Cutler Investment Counsel LLC’s 4th Largest Position

Cutler Investment Counsel LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 79,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,379 shares during the period. Caterpillar comprises 3.3% of Cutler Investment Counsel LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Cutler Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $23,373,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gilfoyle & Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. A.P. Gilfoyle & Co. L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 272.4% in 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 in the last quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Caterpillar by 730.8% in the first quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 108 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Capital Advisors Group LLC. purchased a new position in Caterpillar during the second quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Stock Down 0.4 %

NYSE:CAT traded down $1.33 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $355.30. The company had a trading volume of 1,514,991 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,422,017. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $345.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $297.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1 year low of $204.04 and a 1 year high of $382.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $177.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.77, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.17.

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

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 19th. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is 25.82%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on CAT shares. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Monday, January 8th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $270.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $385.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Thursday. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $216.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 21st. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $300.00 to $338.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $307.56.

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other news, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 10,000 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.04, for a total transaction of $3,000,400.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 67,317 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,197,792.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Lange Bob De sold 21,194 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.52, for a total value of $6,899,070.88. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 61,092 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,886,667.84. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.04, for a total value of $3,000,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 67,317 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,197,792.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 45,769 shares of company stock valued at $14,509,306. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Caterpillar Company Profile

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.