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Deere & Co.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 26 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 14 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter net income declined: Net income was $1.065 billion, or $3.93 per diluted share, against $1.245 billion, or $4.55, a year earlier. Source
  • Full-year net income down 29%: Fiscal 2025 net income was $5.027 billion, or $18.50 per diluted share, against $7.100 billion, or $25.62 a year earlier. Source
  • Production & Precision Ag profit fell 8%: Operating profit fell to $604 million on higher production costs, higher tariffs and special items, partly offset by price realization and volumes. Source
  • Small Ag & Turf profit fell 89%: Net sales rose 7% to $2.457 billion, but operating profit was $25 million, a 1.0% margin against 10.1%, on higher tariffs, warranty expense and production costs. Source
  • Financial Services net income up 69%: Net income was $293 million against $173 million, helped by financing spreads, special items and a lower credit-loss provision. Source
  • Full-year profit fell in three segments: Production & Precision Ag operating profit fell 41% to $2.671 billion; Small Ag & Turf fell 26% to $1.207 billion; Construction & Forestry fell 49% to $1.028 billion. Source
  • Operating cash flow fell for the year: Consolidated operating cash flow was $7.459 billion against $9.231 billion; equipment operations was $5.100 billion against $6.905 billion. Source

“we were able to achieve our best results yet for this point in the cycle”

John May, chairman and CEO of John Deere

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net income attributable to Deere & Company Sourcefiscal 2026$4.00 billion to $4.75 billionNew
Financial Services net income Sourcefiscal 2026~ $830New
Production & Precision Ag net sales Sourcefiscal 2026Down 5 to 10%; currency translation +1.5%; price realization ~ +1.5%New
Small Ag & Turf net sales Sourcefiscal 2026Up ~10%; currency translation +1.0%; price realization ~ +2.0%New
Construction & Forestry net sales Sourcefiscal 2026Up ~10%; currency translation +1.0%; price realization ~ +3.0%New
Industry: U.S. & Canada large ag sales Sourcefiscal 2026Down 15 to 20%New
Industry: U.S. & Canada small ag & turf sales Sourcefiscal 2026Flat to up 5%New
Industry: Europe agriculture and turf sales Sourcefiscal 2026Flat to up 5%New
Industry: South America tractors and combines Sourcefiscal 2026FlatNew
Industry: Asia agriculture and turf sales Sourcefiscal 2026Down ~5%New
Industry: U.S. & Canada construction equipment Sourcefiscal 2026Flat to up 5%New
Industry: U.S. & Canada compact construction equipment Sourcefiscal 2026Flat to up 5%New
Industry: global forestry Sourcefiscal 2026FlatNew
Industry: global roadbuilding Sourcefiscal 2026FlatNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fiscal 2026 net income forecast given as a range; the earlier release gave a fiscal 2025 range. Source
  • New guidance: Fiscal 2026 segment net sales and Financial Services guidance added. Source
  • New guidance: Fiscal 2026 industry forecasts by region and product line added. Source
  • New: Fiscal 2025 acquisitions of small businesses and one equity-method stake were reported in this release. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Fourth-quarter net income declined: Net income was $1.065 billion, or $3.93 per diluted share, against $1.245 billion, or $4.55, a year earlier. Source
  • Full-year net income down 29%: Fiscal 2025 net income was $5.027 billion, or $18.50 per diluted share, against $7.100 billion, or $25.62 a year earlier. Source
  • Revenue rose in quarter, fell for year: Net sales were $10.579 billion in the quarter and $38.917 billion for the year, against $9.275 billion and $44.759 billion. Source
  • Special items affect reported results: Results include special items described in Note 2, including a fourth-quarter litigation accrual. Source

Segments and Financial Services

  • Production & Precision Ag sales rose: Segment net sales rose 10% to $4.740 billion. Operating margin was 12.7% against 15.3%. Source
  • Production & Precision Ag profit fell 8%: Operating profit fell to $604 million on higher production costs, higher tariffs and special items, partly offset by price realization and volumes. Source
  • Small Ag & Turf profit fell 89%: Net sales rose 7% to $2.457 billion, but operating profit was $25 million, a 1.0% margin against 10.1%, on higher tariffs, warranty expense and production costs. Source
  • Construction & Forestry sales up 27%: Net sales rose 27% to $3.382 billion. Operating profit rose 6% to $348 million, a 10.3% margin against 12.3%. Source
  • Financial Services net income up 69%: Net income was $293 million against $173 million, helped by financing spreads, special items and a lower credit-loss provision. Source

“Looking ahead, we believe 2026 will mark the bottom of the large ag cycle”

John May, chairman and CEO of John Deere

Full-year segments and costs

  • Full-year profit fell in three segments: Production & Precision Ag operating profit fell 41% to $2.671 billion; Small Ag & Turf fell 26% to $1.207 billion; Construction & Forestry fell 49% to $1.028 billion. Source
  • Cost of sales fell for the year: Full-year cost of sales was $28.159 billion against $30.775 billion. Fourth-quarter cost of sales rose to $7.944 billion from $6.571 billion; research and development was $2.311 billion for the year. Source
  • Interest and operating expenses eased: Full-year interest expense was $3.170 billion against $3.348 billion, and other operating expenses were $1.124 billion against $1.257 billion. Source

Demand and industry forecasts

  • Battery external demand slowed: A $61 million non-cash impairment of overseas battery operations, recorded in the third quarter, reflected slowing external demand for batteries. Source
  • Large ag forecast down 15 to 20%: The industry forecast for U.S. and Canada large ag is down 15 to 20% for fiscal 2026, while small ag and turf is forecast flat to up 5%. Source
  • Construction forecast flat to up 5%: U.S. and Canada construction equipment and compact construction equipment are forecast flat to up 5% for fiscal 2026. Source

“While ongoing margin pressures from tariffs and persistent challenges in the large ag sector remain”

John May, chairman and CEO of John Deere

Cash, balance sheet and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow fell for the year: Consolidated operating cash flow was $7.459 billion against $9.231 billion; equipment operations was $5.100 billion against $6.905 billion. Source
  • Share repurchases cut sharply: Repurchases of common stock were $1.138 billion against $4.007 billion; dividends paid were $1.720 billion against $1.605 billion. Source
  • Dividends declared rose: Dividends declared were $1.62 per share in the quarter against $1.47, and $6.48 for the year against $5.88. Source
  • Capital spending declined: Purchases of property and equipment were $1.360 billion against $1.640 billion; equipment on operating leases acquired was $2.868 billion against $3.162 billion. Source

Strategy, acquisitions and Brazil bank

  • Small acquisitions completed in 2025: Acquisitions of small businesses and a remaining equity-method stake carried $115 million of consideration, including $101 million cash. Source
  • Data tools added for customers: Acquired businesses add tools that let customers generate and use data for decisions on profitability, efficiency and sustainability. Source
  • Brazil bank took half of BJD: Bradesco became 50% owner of Banco John Deere, which was deconsolidated in February 2025; the equity interest was valued at $362 million. Source

Operating model and prior-year items

  • Results credited to structural changes: Management credits structural improvements and a diverse mix of customer segments and geographies for the fiscal 2025 results. Source
  • 2024 salaried workforce programs: Programs targeted overlap and redundancy in salaried roles; the fiscal 2024 operating profit decrease from them was $152 million. Source
  • 2024 patent settlements gain: The settlements produced a $57 million pretax gain in the fourth quarter of 2024, with $17 million to Production & Precision Ag and $40 million to Construction & Forestry. Source

Coming up, as management said on 26 November 2025

  • Small ag and construction growth expected: Management expects growth in small agriculture and turf and in construction and forestry in fiscal 2026. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Accrued losses on an antitrust class action rose by $95 million pretax in the fourth quarter, on unresolved legal matters. Source
  • External: Management says the added cost of tariffs sits in production costs and other categories, and cites tariffs as a continuing source of margin pressure. Source
  • Operational: Warranty expenses, along with tariffs and production costs, lowered Small Ag & Turf operating profit in the fourth quarter. Source
  • Demand: Management says persistent large ag challenges continue, while expecting 2026 to be the low point of the large ag cycle. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management cites its commitment to inventory management and cost control as part of managing the business through fiscal 2026. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.