Deere drops as tariffs and a weak profit forecast weigh down a Q4 sales beat
A sales and profit beat weren’t enough to stem Deere investors’ tariff unease on Wednesday, when the company dropped its fourth-quarter earnings report. Deere shares slipped about 4% in premarket trading.
Deere posted adjusted earnings of $3.93 per share, beating the $3.84 estimate from Wall Street analysts polled by FactSet. The company also said it expects full-year 2026 profit to land between $4 billion and $4.75 billion. Wall Street expected more than $5 billion.
According to CEO John May, “ongoing margin pressures from tariffs and persistent challenges in the large ag sector remain” and 2026 will “mark the bottom of the large ag cycle.” May said he believes the company’s cost-control efforts will allow it to seize opportunities as the market recovers.
In its fourth quarter, Deere also:
Booked $12.4 billion in total revenue, beating expectations by more than 5%.
Logged a 27% net sales jump in its construction and forestry division. However, the company said tariffs were a headwind for the division's operating profits.