Caterpillar Inc (CAT): Today's Featured Industrial Laggard

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Caterpillar (CAT) pushed the Industrial industry lower today making it today's featured Industrial laggard. The industry as a whole closed the day down 0.3%. By the end of trading, Caterpillar fell 88 cents (-1%) to $86.04 on average volume. Throughout the day, 7.3 million shares of Caterpillar exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 7.6 million shares. The stock ranged in price between $85.43-$86.59 after having opened the day at $86.36 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $86.92. Other companies within the Industrial industry that declined today were: Research Frontiers (REFR), down 9%, Hallwood Group (HWG), down 7.5%, Intellicheck Mobilisa (IDN), down 6.7%, and China Ming Yang Wind Power Group (MY), down 6.7%.

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Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. Caterpillar has a market cap of $56.8 billion and is part of the conglomerates sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 9.7, equal to the average conglomerates industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 4% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there are 11 analysts that rate Caterpillar a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and eight rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Caterpillar as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, notable return on equity, impressive record of earnings per share growth, compelling growth in net income and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had generally high debt management risk by most measures that we evaluated.

• You can view the full Caterpillar Ratings Report.

On the positive front, THT Heat Transfer Technology (THTI), up 11.8%, AZZ (AZZ), up 9.3%, NF Energy Saving (NFEC), up 7.8%, and China Recycling Energy Corporation (CREG), up 7.5%, were all gainers within the industrial industry with AGCO (AGCO) being today's featured industrial industry leader.

• Use our industrial section to find industry-relevant news.
• Or find some new ideas from our top rated stocks lists.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the industrial industry could consider SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA) while those bearish on the industrial industry could consider ProShares UltraShort Industrials (SIJ).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

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For more information on Caterpillar Inc click any of the following:

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