Symmetry Partners LLC Sells 4,224 Shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)

Symmetry Partners LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 84.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 796 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 4,224 shares during the period. Symmetry Partners LLC’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $311,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. purchased a new position in Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Fairscale Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth about $36,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 2,160.0% during the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Caterpillar by 215.4% in the second quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 123 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on CAT shares. Bank of America upped their price target on Caterpillar from $376.00 to $434.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 30th. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $338.00 to $321.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted 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. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Caterpillar from $399.00 to $456.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Caterpillar from $299.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $357.56.

Caterpillar Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:CAT traded up $3.43 during trading on Friday, reaching $379.63. 1,633,361 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,624,214. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $372.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $351.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.40 and a quick ratio of 0.78. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12-month low of $232.88 and a 12-month high of $403.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $184.08 billion, a PE ratio of 17.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.10.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.17 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.33 by ($0.16). The firm had revenue of $16.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 16.26% and a return on equity of 59.09%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $5.52 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 21.88 EPS for the current year.

Caterpillar Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 21st will be issued a $1.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, October 21st. This represents a $5.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.49%. Caterpillar’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.15%.

Insider Transactions at Caterpillar

In related news, Director Gerald Johnson bought 100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 4th. The shares were bought at an average price of $338.59 per share, for a total transaction of $33,859.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 2,842 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $962,272.78. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, insider Cheryl H. Johnson sold 2,975 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 22nd. The stock was 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 directly owns 15,615 shares in the company, valued at $5,347,825.20. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Gerald Johnson acquired 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,842 shares in the company, valued at approximately $962,272.78. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

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.