Main Street Financial Solutions LLC Trims Stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)

Main Street Financial Solutions LLC cut its stake in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Free Report) by 41.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,836 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 3,488 shares during the quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC's holdings in Caterpillar were worth $1,754,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its holdings in Caterpillar by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 635,750 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $231,686,000 after buying an additional 10,212 shares during the last quarter. West Wealth Group LLC purchased a new position in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter worth approximately $230,000. Cadinha & Co. LLC bought a new position in Caterpillar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $11,084,000. Atomi Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. now owns 23,193 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $8,414,000 after purchasing an additional 871 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Copley Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 3rd quarter worth $800,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.98% of the company's stock.

Caterpillar Stock Performance

NYSE CAT traded up $3.68 on Friday, reaching $293.82. 2,716,340 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,637,934. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. Caterpillar Inc. has a one year low of $267.30 and a one year high of $418.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $140.42 billion, a PE ratio of 13.31, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.21. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $327.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $363.58.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.97 by $0.17. Caterpillar had a net margin of 16.65% and a return on equity of 58.18%. Analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on CAT. StockNews.com downgraded Caterpillar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $438.00 to $389.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Wedbush upgraded shares of Caterpillar to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $350.00 to $357.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Caterpillar from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $355.00 to $385.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $361.64.

Insider Activity at Caterpillar

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

Caterpillar 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.