Deere & Co . (NYSE:DE) reported third-quarter earnings on Thursday, surpassing analyst consensus expectations, driving its stock up over 5% in early trading.
The agricultural and construction equipment manufacturer posted adjusted earnings per share of $6.29, beating the analyst consensus of $5.70. Revenue for the quarter came in at $11.39 billion, exceeding estimates of $10.95 billion, despite a 20.3% YoY decline.
Deere maintained its full-year net income forecast of approximately $7 billion, demonstrating resilience in the face of challenging market conditions.
"John Deere's third-quarter results showcase our disciplined execution in the face of challenging conditions in the global agricultural and construction sectors," said John May, chairman and CEO. "Despite facing significant headwinds, our teams have demonstrated resiliency in adapting to market fluctuations."
The company reported that worldwide net sales and revenues decreased 17% to $13.15 billion for the third quarter. Despite the decline, Deere's ability to exceed analyst expectations and maintain its full-year guidance appears to have resonated positively with investors.
May added, "We have taken steps to reduce costs and strategically align our production with customer needs. Although these decisions were difficult, they are vital for our continued success and competitiveness."
Deere's performance comes amid weak global agricultural fundamentals and moderating construction activity. The company's proactive measures to navigate these challenges seem to have bolstered investor confidence, as reflected in the stock's upward movement following the earnings release.
The report was followed by several notes with analysts providing their assessments on the quarter:
Truist: "By segment, Production & Precision Ag net sales were $5.099B down 25.1% y/y but well above consensus at $4.666B, operating profit was $1.162B vs consensus at $819M, and operating margin was a resilient 22.8%, down 340bps y/y. Small Ag and Turf net sales were also better than the Street was expecting at $3.053B, down 18.3% y/y (vs consensus at $2.830B)."
BMO Capital: "This release should be positively seen as FQ3 seemed a battleground — many thought DE would cut FY guidance and many thought it wouldn't."
Analysts added: " This marks the first quarter this year were DE did not reduce its A&T outlook, although guidance now implies ~$3.85 for the F4Q vs cons. at $4.58. DE also made no changes in its global industry forecasts."
Citi: "Given DE’s strong performance in fiscal 3Q, its updated FY24 guide implies fiscal 4Q EPS guidance of ~$4.20, below our $4.29 estimate and the Factset consensus of $4.58. We anticipate DE shares to move higher on DE’s fiscal 3Q beat, even though fiscal 4Q24 estimates are likely to move lower, given DE’s solid margin performance and ~50-bp increase to anticipated FY24 ag & turf price realization despite a challenging ag market environment."