Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) Sets New 52-Week High After Strong Earnings

Deere & Company (NYSE:DEGet Free Report)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $639.99 and last traded at $648.5010, with a volume of 284135 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $593.27.

The industrial products company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.52. Deere & Company had a net margin of 11.00% and a return on equity of 20.54%. The company had revenue of $9.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.50 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.19 EPS. Deere & Company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Deere & Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a $1.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Deere & Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.01%.

Key Deere & Company News

Here are the key news stories impacting Deere & Company this week:

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DE has been the topic of several recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Deere & Company in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Daiwa Securities Group lowered their target price on shares of Deere & Company from $530.00 to $520.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $460.00 price target on shares of Deere & Company in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Zacks Research raised shares of Deere & Company from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Deere & Company from $480.00 to $460.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Deere & Company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $524.20.

Read Our Latest Analysis on DE

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Deere & Company news, insider Cory J. Reed sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $510.00, for a total transaction of $6,120,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 20,792 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,603,920. This represents a 36.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO John C. May II sold 41,472 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.49, for a total transaction of $20,797,793.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 117,970 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $59,160,775.30. This trade represents a 26.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 64,578 shares of company stock valued at $32,471,682. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Deere & Company

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cerro Pacific Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Deere & Company by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Cerro Pacific Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,179 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,480,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. grew its position in shares of Deere & Company by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 816 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $379,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Deere & Company by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 880 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $410,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the period. Prairie Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Deere & Company by 2.1% during the second quarter. Prairie Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 964 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $492,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verdence Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Deere & Company by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 773 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $360,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. 68.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Deere & Company Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $519.01 and a 200 day moving average of $490.22. The company has a market capitalization of $176.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 2.01, a current ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68.

Deere & Company Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Deere & Company, commonly known by its brand John Deere, is a global manufacturer of agricultural, construction and forestry machinery, as well as turf care equipment and power systems. Founded in 1837 by blacksmith John Deere—who developed a polished steel plow to improve tillage in tough prairie soils—the company is headquartered in Moline, Illinois, and has grown into one of the largest and most recognizable names in equipment manufacturing worldwide.

The company’s principal businesses include a broad portfolio of agricultural equipment such as tractors, combines, planters, sprayers, harvesters and tillage implements, complemented by precision agriculture technologies and telematics that support farm management, yield optimization and equipment connectivity.

Further Reading

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