Caterpillar (CAT) Projected to Post Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) is expected to be releasing its earnings data before the market opens on Wednesday, April 30th. Analysts expect Caterpillar to post earnings of $4.33 per share and revenue of $14.64 billion for the quarter. Investors that are interested in participating in the company's conference call can do so using this link.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.97 by $0.17. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 58.18% and a net margin of 16.65%. On average, analysts expect Caterpillar to post $20 EPS for the current fiscal year and $22 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

CAT stock traded up $3.68 during trading on Friday, hitting $293.82. 2,716,340 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,638,071. The stock has a market capitalization of $140.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.21. Caterpillar has a 52 week low of $267.30 and a 52 week high of $418.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $328.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $364.66.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 20th. Investors of record on Monday, April 21st will be issued a $1.41 dividend. This represents a $5.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.92%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 21st. Caterpillar's payout ratio is currently 25.56%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Gerald Johnson bought 100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $365.57 per share, with a total value of $36,557.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,053 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,116,085.21. This trade represents a 3.39 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Jason Kaiser sold 2,425 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $354.70, for a total value of $860,147.50. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 6,275 shares in the company, valued at $2,225,742.50. The trade was a 27.87 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Caterpillar

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Caterpillar stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 51.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,409 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,519 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $2,688,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on CAT shares. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $430.00 to $320.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley raised Caterpillar from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $300.00 to $283.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Raymond James raised shares of Caterpillar from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com cut Caterpillar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their target price on Caterpillar from $365.00 to $375.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $361.64.

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.