Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) Shares Sold by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. trimmed its stake in Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 505,252 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 8,967 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 0.19% of Deere & Company worth $214,075,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of DE. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Deere & Company by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,002 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $426,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. DLK Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Deere & Company by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. DLK Investment Management LLC now owns 8,212 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,479,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Deere & Company by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 889 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $377,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Deere & Company by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8,019 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,398,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Finally, Douglas Lane & Associates LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Deere & Company by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC now owns 557 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $236,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.58% of the company’s stock.

Deere & Company Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DE opened at $478.42 on Wednesday. Deere & Company has a 12 month low of $340.20 and a 12 month high of $515.05. The company has a market cap of $129.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.21, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.01. The business’s 50 day moving average is $477.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $441.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94.

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The industrial products company reported $3.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 expect that Deere & Company will post 19.32 EPS for the current year.

Deere & Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 8th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $1.62 dividend. This represents a $6.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.35%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Deere & Company’s payout ratio is presently 28.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Argus set a $510.00 target price on shares of Deere & Company in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Deere & Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $510.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday, December 6th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on Deere & Company from $477.00 to $507.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Citigroup upped their target price on Deere & Company from $430.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Deere & Company from $437.00 to $455.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Deere & Company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $460.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Deere & Company news, insider Rajesh Kalathur sold 24,580 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the insider now owns 74,878 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,484,675.58. This trade represents a 24.71 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.