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Deere & Co.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 19 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 10 raised, 2 lowered, 6 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income fell to $656 million: Net income attributable to Deere was $656 million, or $2.42 per diluted share, against $869 million, or $3.19, a year earlier. Source
  • Construction & Forestry profit more than doubled: Net sales rose 34% to $2,670 million. Operating profit rose 111% to $137 million, a 5.1% margin, on volumes and production efficiencies, partly offset by tariffs. Source
  • Tariffs weighed on segment costs: The company said the cost of additional tariffs for each segment sits within production costs. Source
  • Construction and small ag demand recovering: Management said it is encouraged by the ongoing recovery in demand within construction and small agriculture segments. Source
  • Order books strengthened in the quarter: Management said first quarter shipments were ahead of plan as order books strengthened. Source
  • 2026 seen as cycle bottom: Management said its belief is that 2026 represents the bottom of the current cycle. Source

“we’re encouraged by the ongoing recovery in demand within both the construction and small agriculture segments”

John May, chairman and CEO of John Deere

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net income attributable to Deere & Company Sourcefiscal 2026$4.5 billion to $5.0 billionRaised from $4.00 billion to $4.75 billion
Production & Precision Ag net sales Sourcefiscal 2026Down 5 to 10%Kept
Production & Precision Ag currency translation Sourcefiscal 2026+3.0%Raised from +1.5%
Production & Precision Ag price realization Sourcefiscal 2026~ +1.5%Kept
Small Ag & Turf net sales Sourcefiscal 2026Up ~15%Raised from Up ~10%
Small Ag & Turf currency translation Sourcefiscal 2026+2.0%Raised from +1.0%
Small Ag & Turf price realization Sourcefiscal 2026~ +2.0%Kept
Construction & Forestry net sales Sourcefiscal 2026Up ~15%Raised from Up ~10%
Construction & Forestry currency translation Sourcefiscal 2026+2.0%Raised from +1.0%
Construction & Forestry price realization Sourcefiscal 2026~ +2.5%Lowered from ~ +3.0%
U.S. & Canada Small Ag & Turf industry Sourcefiscal 2026Flat to up 5%Kept
Europe agriculture and turf industry Sourcefiscal 2026Flat to up 5%Kept
South America tractors and combines industry Sourcefiscal 2026Down ~5%Lowered from Flat
Asia agriculture and turf industry Sourcefiscal 2026Flat to down 5%Raised from Down ~5%
U.S. & Canada construction equipment industry Sourcefiscal 2026Up ~5%Raised from Flat to up 5%
U.S. & Canada compact construction equipment industry Sourcefiscal 2026Up ~5%Raised from Flat to up 5%
Global forestry industry Sourcefiscal 2026FlatKept
Global roadbuilding industry Sourcefiscal 2026Up ~5%Raised from Flat

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Fiscal 2026 net income guidance range increased, from the prior $4.00 to $4.75 billion range. Source
  • Guidance raised: Production & Precision Ag currency translation effect raised from +1.5% to +3.0%. Source
  • Guidance raised: Small Ag & Turf net sales change raised from up about 10% to up about 15%. Source
  • Guidance raised: Construction & Forestry net sales change raised from up about 10% to up about 15%. Source
  • Guidance lowered: South America tractors and combines industry forecast moved from flat to down about 5%. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Construction & Forestry price realization reduced from about 3.0% to about 2.5%. Source
  • New: Strategy reference now reads refined Leap Ambitions, where the prior list read Leap Ambitions. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net income fell to $656 million: Net income attributable to Deere was $656 million, or $2.42 per diluted share, against $869 million, or $3.19, a year earlier. Source
  • Net sales and revenues rose 13%: Net sales and revenues were $9,611 million, up 13%. Net sales were $8,001 million, against $6,809 million. Source

Segments and regions

  • Construction & Forestry profit more than doubled: Net sales rose 34% to $2,670 million. Operating profit rose 111% to $137 million, a 5.1% margin, on volumes and production efficiencies, partly offset by tariffs. Source
  • Financial Services income rose: Financial Services net income was $244 million, up from $230 million, helped by favorable financing spreads and a lower provision for credit losses. Source

“These positive developments reinforce our belief that 2026 represents the bottom of the current cycle”

John May, chairman and CEO of John Deere

Costs, margins and tariffs

  • Tariffs weighed on segment costs: The company said the cost of additional tariffs for each segment sits within production costs. Source
  • Cost of sales rose to $6,280 million: Cost of sales was $6,280 million, against $5,037 million. Selling, administrative and general expenses were flat at $972 million. Source
  • Income tax provision rose sharply: The tax provision was $196 million, against $27 million, on pre-tax income of $836 million compared with $895 million. Source

Demand and order book

  • Construction and small ag demand recovering: Management said it is encouraged by the ongoing recovery in demand within construction and small agriculture segments. Source
  • Order books strengthened in the quarter: Management said first quarter shipments were ahead of plan as order books strengthened. Source
  • Large ag still faces challenges: Management said the global large agriculture industry continues to experience challenges, while other segments recover. Source
  • Diverse segments and geographies cited: Management pointed to the mix of customer segments and geographies as support for resilience and growth. Source

“Our sustained investment in research and development throughout the cycle is yielding measurable results”

John May, chairman and CEO of John Deere

Cash, capital and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash outflow narrowed: Net cash used for operating activities was $890 million, against $1,132 million a year earlier. Source
  • Share repurchases and dividends: Repurchases of common stock were $302 million, against $441 million. Dividends paid were $441 million, against $403 million. Source
  • Cash balance declined: Cash and cash equivalents were $6,798 million at February 1, 2026, against $8,276 million at November 2, 2025. Source
  • Diluted share count declined: Average diluted shares were 270.9 million, against 272.3 million a year earlier. Source

Strategy and product launches

  • R&D investment yielding results: Management said sustained research and development spending through the cycle is producing measurable results. Source

Cycle position and management view

  • 2026 seen as cycle bottom: Management said its belief is that 2026 represents the bottom of the current cycle. Source

Coming up, as management said on 19 February 2026

  • Product launches across segments: Management said the company is moving toward launching a wide range of products across all business segments. No dates were given. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Tariffs were cited as a cost that reduced Production & Precision Ag profit and partly offset gains elsewhere. Source
  • Demand: Management said large agriculture continues to face challenges globally. Source
  • Operational: Higher warranty expenses were cited as a factor in lower Production & Precision Ag operating profit. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said first quarter shipments were ahead of the plan. 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.