Mendel Money Management Boosts Stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)

Mendel Money Management raised its stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) by 12.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,337 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 375 shares during the quarter. Mendel Money Management’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $1,211,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 69,127 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,077,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. grew its stake in Caterpillar by 189.6% in the 4th quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 2,884 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,046,000 after acquiring an additional 1,888 shares during the period. Financial Counselors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Financial Counselors Inc. now owns 165,751 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $60,128,000 after purchasing an additional 1,558 shares during the period. Morey & Quinn Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the fourth quarter worth $387,000. Finally, Ipsen Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in Caterpillar in the fourth quarter valued at $259,000. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Caterpillar Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of Caterpillar stock opened at $342.65 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 0.89. Caterpillar Inc. has a 1-year low of $307.05 and a 1-year high of $418.50. The business has a 50-day moving average of $357.63 and a 200-day moving average of $372.46. The company has a market capitalization of $163.76 billion, a PE ratio of 15.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.15.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The industrial products company reported $5.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.97 by $0.17. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 58.18% and a net margin of 16.65%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CAT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup lifted their price target on Caterpillar from $420.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Caterpillar from $452.00 to $414.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $455.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Evercore ISI lifted 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. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Caterpillar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $383.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Gerald Johnson bought 100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $365.57 per share, with a total value of $36,557.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,053 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,116,085.21. This trade represents a 3.39 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Andrew R. J. Bonfield sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $380.09, for a total value of $3,800,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 45,182 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,173,226.38. This trade represents a 18.12 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.