Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Trading Down 0.2% – Time to Sell?

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) was down 0.2% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $384.14 and last traded at $385.00. Approximately 258,465 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 90% from the average daily volume of 2,619,812 shares. The stock had previously closed at $385.73.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CAT has been the subject of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $435.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 14th. Barclays boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com cut Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Raymond James initiated coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Friday, June 28th. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $355.50.

Caterpillar Stock Up 0.3 %

The company has a market capitalization of $189.30 billion, a PE ratio of 17.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.10. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $366.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $350.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The industrial products company reported $5.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.53 by $0.46. The business had revenue of $16.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.91 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 16.58% and a return on equity of 59.88%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.55 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 21.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 21st will be given a dividend of $1.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, October 21st. This represents a $5.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.46%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is currently 25.46%.

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In other news, Director Gerald Johnson purchased 100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $338.59 per share, with a total value of $33,859.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 2,842 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $962,272.78. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, Director Gerald Johnson acquired 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $338.59 per share, for a total transaction of $33,859.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,842 shares in the company, valued at $962,272.78. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Cheryl H. Johnson sold 2,975 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 15,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,347,825.20. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Fairman Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Fairscale Capital LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar during the second quarter worth $36,000. Finally, POM Investment Strategies LLC increased its stake in Caterpillar by 2,160.0% during the second quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 113 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.