DE Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Construction & Turf Strength

Production & Precision Agriculture. The top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.81 billion.

Total net sales (including Financial Services and other income) rose 5% year over year to $12.61 billion. Top-line growth was supported by higher shipment volumes and favorable price realization in Small Agriculture & Turf and Construction & Forestry, partly offset by lower shipment volumes in Production & Precision Agriculture.

Deere’s Profits Rise in Q3

The cost of sales in the reported quarter increased 4.9% from the prior-year quarter to $7.94 billion. Total gross profit rose 9.8% year over year to $3.06 billion. Selling, administrative and general expenses (SA&G) were flat at $1.22 billion.

Total operating profit (including Financial Services) increased 18% year over year to $1.86 billion in the fiscal third quarter.

DE’s Segment Performances in Q3

The Production & Precision Agriculture segment’s net sales declined 6% year over year to around $4 billion due to lower shipment volumes, partially offset by favorable price realization and foreign currency translation. Segment operating profit fell 9% from the year-ago quarter to $527 million, reflecting lower shipment volumes and sales mix, and higher production costs, partially offset by favorable price realization and foreign currency exchange.

Small Agriculture & Turf net sales increased 12% year over year to $3.38 billion on higher shipment volumes and favorable price realization. Operating profit rose 28% year over year to $622 million, driven mainly by higher shipment volumes and sales mix, and favorable price realization, partially offset by higher production costs.

Construction & Forestry net sales were $3.62 billion, up 18% year over year, primarily on higher shipment volumes and favorable price realization. Operating profit surged 84% year over year to $436 million, aided mainly by favorable price realization, partially offset by higher selling, administrative, general and R&D costs.

Sales in Deere’s Financial Services division were $1.37 billion in the quarter, down 3% year over year. The segment’s operating profit increased 2% year over year to $271 million. Net income for Financial Services climbed 7% year over year to $219 million in the fiscal third quarter due to favorable financing spreads, partially offset by a lower average portfolio.

Deere’s Q2 Cash Position

Cash and cash equivalents totaled $8.93 billion as of Aug. 2, 2026, up from $8.28 billion at the end of fiscal 2025. Net cash provided by operating activities was $3.25 billion for the first nine months compared with $3.46 billion a year earlier. Deere also repurchased $697 million of common stock and paid out $1.32 billion in dividends.

DE's FY26 Outlook

Deere raised its fiscal 2026 net income forecast to $4.75-$5 billion from the $4.5-$5 billion mentioned earlier. Equipment Operations net operating cash flow is expected to be $5-$5.50 billion, while capital expenditure is projected to be $1.30 billion and the effective tax rate is expected to be 24-26%.

The company continues to view 2026 as the bottom of the current agriculture equipment cycle. Early order program trends, improving used-equipment inventories and increased customer adoption of advanced technologies underpin its confidence in the company's longer-term positioning.

Deere’s Share Price Performance

Shares of the company have gained 19.3% in the past year compared with the industry’s 15.2% growth.

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DE’s Zacks Rank

The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

A Look at Deere’s Peer Performances

Lindsay Corporation LNN reported third-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings of $1.53 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.41 by 8.5%. The bottom line declined 14% year over year.

Lindsay’s sales totaled $160.8 million, down 5% year over year. The top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $169 million by 5.15%. Irrigation softness outweighed infrastructure growth. The quarter reflected persistent demand challenges in North America and Brazil.

CNH Industrial N.V. CNH reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of 13 cents, which declined from 17 cents in the prior-year quarter. The figure, however, surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 11 cents.

In the second quarter, CNH Industrial’s net sales grew 2% from the year-ago level to $4.80 billion and topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.76 billion.

AGCO Corp. AGCO delivered adjusted earnings per share of $1.43 in second-quarter 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.54 by 7.14%. AGCO Corp posted adjusted EPS of $1.35 in the year-ago quarter. 

Net sales declined 1% year over year to $2.61 billion and missed the consensus estimate of $2.73 billion. Excluding the favorable currency-translation impacts of 2.7%, net sales fell 3.7% year over year.

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