Bill Gates and Ken Fisher are quietly sitting on massive gains from one of 2025's most overlooked winners. Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) , now the top-performing stock in the Dow, is up more than 62% year-to-date. CAT stock’s rally has added roughly $1.7 billion in combined value to holdings tied to the Gates Foundation and Fisher Asset Management, even as flashier names like Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) continued to grab the headlines.Track CAT stock here.The rally hasn't been driven by hype or headline-grabbing ...

No, it's not Nvidia, or any of its tech titans for that matter'Tis the season of looking back on this year's stock market performance. With 2026 fast approaching, traders are taking stock of their wins and losses to shape their investment strategies for the new year. Despite no shortage of volatility, the tech sector was a big winner amid the AI boom. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) has amassed a solid 44.6% year-to-date lead, even as overvaluation concerns weighed on the chip sector recently.The Dow Jon ...

The Industrial Products group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Assa Abloy AB (ASAZY) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.Assa Abloy AB is one of 187 companies in the Industrial Products group. The Industrial Products group currently sits at #8 withi ...

The recommendations of Wall Street analysts are often relied on by investors when deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock. Media reports about these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts changing their ratings often affect a stock's price. Do they really matter, though?Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about Caterpillar (CAT) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage.Caterpillar currently has an av ...

Caterpillar Inc (NASDAQ:CAT) experienced a significant Power Inflow alert, a key bullish indicator that is closely tracked by traders who value order flow analytics, specifically institutional and retail order flow data.At 10:00 AM EST on December 15th, CAT triggered a Power Inflow signal at a price of $588.24. CAT had seen a decrease in the stock price leading up to the Power Inflow alert, dropping over 2% in the opening hour of trading. At the time of the signal, and shortly after, both the retail and ins ...

Core Insights - Dividend aristocrat stocks are essential for investors aiming for stability and long-term wealth creation, as they have consistently increased dividends for at least 25 years, showcasing financial discipline and commitment to shareholders [1][2] Dividend Aristocrats Overview - Dividend aristocrats serve as a hedge against economic uncertainty, providing downside protection and consistent payout increases, making them suitable anchors in diversified portfolios [2] - Five highlighted dividend aristocrats for 2026 include Atmos Energy Corporation, Medtronic plc, PepsiCo, Inc., Caterpillar Inc., and S&P Global Inc., all of which exhibit robust dividend growth and steady returns [3][8] Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) - ATO has raised its annual dividend for 42 consecutive years, with a current quarterly dividend of $1 per share and an annual dividend yield of 2.38% [3][4] - The new dividend for fiscal 2026 is $4 per share, reflecting a nearly 15% increase from fiscal 2025 [4] Medtronic plc (MDT) - MDT has increased its dividend for 48 consecutive years, with a current quarterly dividend of 71 cents and an annual dividend yield of 2.84% [5][6] - The company is expanding its global presence, particularly in the Cardiovascular business, despite facing near-term supply and tariff-related challenges [6] PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) - PEP has raised its annualized dividend by 5% in 2025, reaching $5.69 per share, marking its 53rd consecutive annual dividend increase [7][9] - The company plans to return $8.6 billion to shareholders in 2025, including $7.6 billion in dividends and $1 billion in buybacks, with an annual dividend yield of 3.78% [9] Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) - CAT has a long history of dividend payments, having raised dividends for 32 consecutive years, with a recent quarterly dividend hike of 7% to $1.51 per share [10][11] - The company returned approximately $1.1 billion to shareholders in dividends and share repurchases in Q3 2025, with an annual dividend yield of 1.01% [11] S&P Global Inc. (SPGI) - SPGI has increased its dividend annually for over 50 years, with a current quarterly dividend of 96 cents and an annualized dividend of $3.84 per share [12][13] - The company reported a strong adjusted operating profit margin of 52.1% and generated free cash flow of $1.4 billion in the last quarter [14]

Core Points - CAT Strategic Metals Corporation held its annual general and special meeting of shareholders on December 9, 2025, where shareholders voted in favor of all proposed matters [1] - The number of directors was set at three, with Robert Rosner, Steve Cozine, and Luis Martins elected to serve until the next annual meeting [1] - Mr. Jean-Francois Perrault was appointed as an additional director, bringing over 30 years of experience in merchant banking and capital markets [2][4] Corporate Update - Mr. Perrault's experience includes roles as Managing Director at Leede Financial Inc. and President & CEO of Northcore Resources Inc., highlighting his extensive background in corporate finance and investment banking [3][4] - He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from McGill University and an MBA from Concordia University [5] - Mr. Perrault will support management and the Corporation in his role as a director [6] Company Overview - CAT Strategic Metals focuses on sourcing and advancing property interests in mineral districts with potential for lithium, copper, gold, silver, and tellurium [7] - The company controls the Gold Jackpot strategic metals property in Nevada and the Burntland Project in New Brunswick, Canada, targeting copper-silver and gold exploration [7] - CAT's shares are traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "CAT" and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as "8CHA" [7] Additional Resolutions - Mao & Ying LLP was re-appointed as the Company's auditor for the upcoming year [11] - The Company's stock option plan was ratified and approved by shareholders [11]

Core Insights - The Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026, following a 2.5% increase in 2025, impacting 71 million Americans [1][2] - Dividend growth stocks have historically provided higher annual increases compared to Social Security adjustments, with several blue-chip companies consistently outperforming these adjustments [1][2] Dividend Growth Companies - **Caterpillar**: Achieved a 10-year compound annual dividend growth rate of 7.2%, with a quarterly dividend increase of 7.1% to $1.51 in December 2025, marking 32 consecutive years of increases [3][4] - **Coca-Cola**: Raised its dividend for 62 consecutive years, with a 10-year compound annual growth rate of 4.5% and a quarterly dividend increase of 5.2% to $0.51 in 2025 [6][8] - **Johnson & Johnson**: Also increased its dividend for 62 consecutive years, with a 10-year compound annual growth rate of approximately 6.5% and a quarterly dividend increase of 4.8% to $1.30 in 2025 [9][10] - **PepsiCo**: Maintained a 52-year dividend increase streak, with a 10-year compound annual growth rate of 7.1% and a quarterly dividend increase to $1.4225 in 2025 [12][14] - **Procter & Gamble**: Holds the longest streak with 68 consecutive years of dividend increases, averaging annual growth of 5-7% [15][17] Financial Performance - **Caterpillar**: Projected annual dividend increase from $1.84 in 2012 to $6.04 in 2026, a 228% increase over 14 years, with Q3 2025 operating cash flow of $3.7 billion [4][5] - **Coca-Cola**: Quarterly dividend increased from $0.16 in 1999 to $0.51 in 2025, a 219% increase, with Q3 2025 dividends totaling $2.108 billion [7][8] - **Johnson & Johnson**: Quarterly dividend increased from $0.25 in 1999 to $1.30 in 2025, a 420% increase, with Q3 2025 dividends of $3.132 billion [10][11] - **PepsiCo**: Annual dividend growth from $2.15 in 2012 to $5.55 in 2025, a 158% increase, with Q3 2025 dividends of $1.949 billion [13][14] - **Procter & Gamble**: Paid $2.549 billion in dividends in Q1 2026, with a current dividend yield of 2.93% and a 60% payout ratio [16][17]

Group 1 - Caterpillar Inc. is expected to benefit from the growing demand for data centers and AI infrastructure development [1] - The company's Energy and Transportation segment, now renamed Power and Energy, is experiencing increased demand [1]

Group 1 - Caterpillar Inc. is expected to benefit from the growing demand for data centers and AI infrastructure development [1] - The company's Energy and Transportation segment, now renamed Power and Energy, is experiencing increased demand [1]