As Trump Takes a Stand Against Deere, How Should You Play the Blue-Chip Dividend Stock?

Core Insights - Deere & Company is a global leader in agricultural, construction, and forestry machinery, providing precision agriculture technologies and financial services, operating in over 100 countries [1][2] Financial Performance - For the fourth quarter of 2025, Deere reported net sales and revenues of approximately $12.4 billion, an 11% increase year-over-year, exceeding analyst expectations of $9.8-9.9 billion [5] - Diluted EPS for the quarter was $3.93, slightly above the consensus of $3.85, but down around 14% from $4.55 a year earlier due to margin pressure [5][7] - Net income attributable to Deere for the quarter was roughly $1.07 billion [5] Segment Performance - Equipment operations net sales rose 14% to about $10.6 billion, with notable performance in different segments [6] - Production & Precision Agriculture sales increased 10% to $4.74 billion, with a 12.7% operating margin [6] - Small Agriculture & Turf sales rose 7% to $2.46 billion, but operating profit fell to $25 million [6] - Construction & Forestry segment saw a significant 27% sales growth to $3.38 billion, with a 10.3% operating margin [6] Market Performance - Deere's stock is currently trading about 13% below its 52-week high of $533.78, reflecting pressure from a weaker 2026 outlook [3] - Over the past five days, the stock is down about 1%, and it has seen an 8% decline over the past six months [3][4] - The stock offers a dividend yield of approximately 1.38%, totaling $1.62 for the past four quarters [3]