Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) Shares Bought by Minneapolis Portfolio Management Group LLC

Minneapolis Portfolio Management Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Deere & Company (NYSE:DE - Free Report) by 2.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 65,763 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,318 shares during the quarter. Deere & Company accounts for approximately 3.7% of Minneapolis Portfolio Management Group LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Minneapolis Portfolio Management Group LLC's holdings in Deere & Company were worth $27,864,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. King Luther Capital Management Corp grew its stake in shares of Deere & Company by 11.9% during the 3rd quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 3,032 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,265,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Deere & Company by 2.3% in the third quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 18,998 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $7,928,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the period. Nwam LLC purchased a new stake in Deere & Company during the third quarter worth about $903,000. Cerity Partners LLC grew its position in Deere & Company by 5.4% during the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 115,274 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $48,110,000 after buying an additional 5,948 shares during the period. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Deere & Company by 41.6% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,510 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,047,000 after buying an additional 737 shares in the last quarter. 68.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Deere & Company Trading Down 3.0 %

NYSE:DE traded down $14.45 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $465.27. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,183,544 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,400,727. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 2.22 and a quick ratio of 1.98. The stock has a market cap of $126.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.01. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $477.28 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $439.39. Deere & Company has a twelve month low of $340.20 and a twelve month high of $515.05.

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

Deere & Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 8th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $1.62 dividend. This represents a $6.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.39%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Deere & Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.72%.

Insider Activity at Deere & Company

In other news, insider Rajesh Kalathur sold 24,580 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $500.61, for a total value of $12,304,993.80. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 74,878 shares in the company, valued at $37,484,675.58. This trade represents a 24.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.29% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on DE shares. Argus set a $510.00 price target on Deere & Company in a research note on Friday, March 7th. StockNews.com lowered Deere & Company from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, March 1st. Jefferies Financial Group cut Deere & Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $510.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Friday, December 6th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of Deere & Company from $437.00 to $455.00 and gave the stock an "in-line" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Robert W. Baird restated a "neutral" rating and set a $501.00 target price on shares of Deere & Company in a report on Monday, March 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $460.00.

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.