Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) Shares Sold by Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C.

Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. cut its holdings in shares of Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) by 53.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,594 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,825 shares during the period. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C.’s holdings in Deere & Company were worth $675,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Pineridge Advisors LLC grew its stake in Deere & Company by 60.5% during the 4th quarter. Pineridge Advisors LLC now owns 69 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Modus Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Deere & Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. YANKCOM Partnership purchased a new position in shares of Deere & Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Deere & Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Continuum Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Deere & Company by 155.8% in the third quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 110 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. 68.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Deere & Company

In other Deere & Company news, insider Rajesh Kalathur sold 24,580 shares of the company’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 directly owns 74,878 shares in the company, valued at $37,484,675.58. This represents a 24.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Deere & Company Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:DE opened at $479.69 on Friday. Deere & Company has a fifty-two week low of $340.20 and a fifty-two week high of $515.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94. The company has a market cap of $130.19 billion, a PE ratio of 21.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.01. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $477.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $438.85.

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 27.31% and a net margin of 12.94%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Deere & Company will post 19.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Deere & Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $1.62 per share. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. Deere & Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.72%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Argus set a $510.00 price objective on shares of Deere & Company in a report on Friday, March 7th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $501.00 price target on shares of Deere & Company in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group cut Deere & Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $510.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Friday, December 6th. StockNews.com downgraded Deere & Company from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, March 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Deere & Company from $470.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Deere & Company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $460.00.

Deere & 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.