Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) Shares Up 0.3% on Analyst Upgrade

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) shares traded up 0.3% during mid-day trading on Monday after UBS Group raised their price target on the stock from $285.00 to $295.00. UBS Group currently has a sell rating on the stock. Caterpillar traded as high as $381.48 and last traded at $380.59. 311,941 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 2,613,385 shares. The stock had previously closed at $379.63.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Caterpillar from $299.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley cut Caterpillar from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and cut their price target for the company from $349.00 to $332.00 in a report on Monday, October 14th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Caterpillar from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $338.00 to $321.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Caterpillar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Caterpillar presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $358.19.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 968 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $380.98, for a total value of $368,788.64. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 1,686 shares in the company, valued at approximately $642,332.28. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Caterpillar news, Director Gerald Johnson acquired 100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 4th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $338.59 per share, for a total transaction of $33,859.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,842 shares in the company, valued at $962,272.78. This represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CAO William E. Schaupp sold 968 shares of Caterpillar stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $380.98, for a total transaction of $368,788.64. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 1,686 shares in the company, valued at $642,332.28. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 7,128 shares of company stock valued at $2,506,748. Insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar during the second quarter worth $28,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Fairscale Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the third quarter worth $36,000. Finally, POM Investment Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in Caterpillar by 2,160.0% in the second quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 113 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Caterpillar Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 1.40. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $372.91 and a 200-day moving average price of $351.45. The company has a market capitalization of $182.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.10.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.17 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.33 by ($0.16). The company had revenue of $16.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 16.26% and a return on equity of 59.09%. Caterpillar's revenue for the quarter was down 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $5.52 EPS. Research analysts predict that Caterpillar Inc. will post 21.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 21st will be issued a dividend of $1.41 per share. This represents a $5.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, October 21st. Caterpillar's dividend payout ratio is currently 26.15%.

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.