Ensign Peak Advisors Inc Buys 84,896 Shares of Deere & Company (NYSE:DE)

Ensign Peak Advisors Inc boosted its position in Deere & Company (NYSE:DE - Free Report) by 93.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 175,572 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 84,896 shares during the period. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc owned approximately 0.06% of Deere & Company worth $74,390,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DE. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Deere & Company by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,002 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $426,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. DLK Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Deere & Company by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. DLK Investment Management LLC now owns 8,212 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,479,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Deere & Company by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 889 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $377,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Deere & Company by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8,019 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,398,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Deere & Company by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. now owns 2,115 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $896,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. 68.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Deere & Company

In related news, insider Rajesh Kalathur sold 24,580 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $500.61, for a total value of $12,304,993.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 74,878 shares in the company, valued at $37,484,675.58. This represents a 24.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Deere & Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:DE traded up $4.19 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $499.81. 1,500,126 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,418,023. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a current ratio of 2.22. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $466.33 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $452.10. Deere & Company has a 12 month low of $340.20 and a 12 month high of $515.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $135.66 billion, a PE ratio of 22.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.08.

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The industrial products company reported $3.19 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.14 by $0.05. Deere & Company had a return on equity of 27.31% and a net margin of 12.94%. Equities research analysts expect that Deere & Company will post 19.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Deere & Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 8th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a dividend of $1.62 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.30%. Deere & Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DE has been the topic of a number of research reports. Argus set a $510.00 price objective on Deere & Company in a report on Friday, March 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Deere & Company from $470.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Robert W. Baird reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $501.00 price objective on shares of Deere & Company in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Deere & Company from $437.00 to $455.00 and gave the stock an "in-line" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Deere & Company from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $460.21.

Deere & Company Company Profile

Deere & Co engages in the manufacture and distribution of equipment used in agriculture, construction, forestry, and turf care. It operates through the following segments: Agriculture and Turf, Construction and Forestry, and Financial Services. The Agriculture and Turf segment focuses on the distribution and manufacture of a full line of agriculture and turf equipment and related service parts.