Sterling Capital Management LLC Has $52.07 Million Stock Position in Deere & Company $DE

Key Points

• Sterling Capital Management cut its Deere stake by 15% in Q1, but still held 92,441 shares worth about $52.1 million, making DE its 19th-largest holding.
• Deere posted strong quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue expectations, and recently raised full-year net income guidance while expanding its share repurchase program.
• Wall Street sentiment remains mostly positive despite some mixed calls: analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus on DE, with a consensus price target of $639.58, while the stock also continues to face concerns about the ongoing agricultural-cycle downturn.

Sterling Capital Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Deere & Company (NYSE:DE - Free Report) by 15.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 92,441 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 16,259 shares during the period. Deere & Company makes up 1.0% of Sterling Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Sterling Capital Management LLC's holdings in Deere & Company were worth $52,072,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of DE. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Deere & Company in the fourth quarter worth $1,715,633,000. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in shares of Deere & Company by 53.9% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 9,592,004 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $4,465,906,000 after purchasing an additional 3,358,264 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in shares of Deere & Company by 1,725.8% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,003,715 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $932,870,000 after purchasing an additional 1,893,972 shares in the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp grew its stake in shares of Deere & Company by 1,199.8% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 1,864,701 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $868,149,000 after buying an additional 1,721,239 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Deere & Company by 32.5% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,436,723 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,134,465,000 after buying an additional 597,087 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.58% of the company's stock.

Key Deere & Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Deere raised full-year net income guidance, expanded its share repurchase program, and highlighted AI-enabled efficiency investments, all of which support the case for stronger margins and shareholder returns. Deere (DE) Is Up 7.0% After Raising Guidance, Expanding Buybacks And Highlighting AI Efficiency Investments
• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital and Freedom Broker raised price targets on Deere after strong quarterly earnings, signaling Wall Street sees continued upside following the company’s latest results. RBC Capital and Freedom Broker Raise Price Targets on Deere (DE) After Strong Quarterly Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Deere continues to be viewed as a long-term winner in agtech, robotics, and automation, reinforcing the investment case for its precision-farming and technology-driven business model. Is Deere & Co. (DE) Amongst the Best Robotics and Automation Stocks to Look at
• Neutral Sentiment: Deere and other ag-related companies are being highlighted in articles about agtech and food innovation, which supports the long-term theme but does not appear to be a direct stock-moving catalyst. 3 AgTech & Food Innovation Stocks Driving Agriculture's Future
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary suggests Deere may be near an agricultural-cycle bottom in 2026, which could eventually help the stock if farm conditions improve, but that recovery is still forward-looking. Deere Expects 2026 to Mark the Bottom of the Agriculture Cycle, RBC Says
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term sentiment is being capped by concerns that Deere’s agriculture business is still working through a cyclical downturn, even as investors look for signs that demand has stabilized. How CAT Stock Doubles Again To Reach $2,000

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DE has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen cut Deere & Company from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday. Raymond James Financial reduced their price target on shares of Deere & Company from $765.00 to $700.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Deere & Company from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Deere & Company from $672.00 to $607.50 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Deere & Company from $530.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $639.58.

Deere & Company Stock Performance

Shares of DE stock opened at $613.45 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $574.51 and a 200-day moving average of $557.28. The company has a market cap of $165.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 2.18 and a quick ratio of 1.95. Deere & Company has a one year low of $433.00 and a one year high of $674.19.

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The industrial products company reported $6.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.70 by $0.85. Deere & Company had a net margin of 10.09% and a return on equity of 18.25%. The business had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.55 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $6.64 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Deere & Company will post 18.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Deere & Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a $1.62 dividend. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. Deere & Company's payout ratio is presently 36.71%.

Deere & Company Company Profile

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.

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