Deere & Co Stock Buy Recommendation Reiterated (DE)

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Deere (NYSE:DE) has been reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a buy with a ratings score of A- . The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, increase in stock price during the past year, growth in earnings per share and increase in net income. Although the company may harbor some minor weaknesses, we feel they are unlikely to have a significant impact on results.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 0.3%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 13.7%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share.
• The stock has risen over the past year as investors have generally rewarded the company for its earnings growth and other positive factors like the ones we have cited in this report. Turning our attention to the future direction of the stock, it goes without saying that even the best stocks can fall in an overall down market. However, in any other environment, this stock still has good upside potential despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year.
• DEERE & CO has improved earnings per share by 8.0% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. During the past fiscal year, DEERE & CO increased its bottom line by earning $7.64 versus $6.63 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($8.30 versus $7.64).
• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has exceeded that of the S&P 500, but is less than that of the Machinery industry average. The net income increased by 2.7% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from $669.60 million to $688.00 million.

Deere & Company provides products and services primarily for agriculture and forestry worldwide. Deere has a market cap of $33.06 billion and is part of the industrial goods sector and industrial industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 11.1, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 8.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday.

You can view the full Deere Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

--Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff.

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