Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) Position Raised by Markel Group Inc.

Markel Group Inc. increased its holdings in Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) by 0.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 874,950 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 5,850 shares during the period. Deere & Company accounts for approximately 3.3% of Markel Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Markel Group Inc. owned approximately 0.32% of Deere & Company worth $370,716,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Deere & Company by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,002 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $426,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. DLK Investment Management LLC grew its position in Deere & Company by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. DLK Investment Management LLC now owns 8,212 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,479,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC grew its position in Deere & Company by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 889 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $377,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in Deere & Company by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8,019 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,398,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Finally, Douglas Lane & Associates LLC grew its position in Deere & Company by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC now owns 557 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $236,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.58% of the company’s stock.

Deere & Company Stock Down 2.2 %

DE opened at $488.69 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $462.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $430.99. Deere & Company has a 52 week low of $340.20 and a 52 week high of $515.05. The company has a market capitalization of $132.64 billion, a PE ratio of 21.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94.

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The industrial products company reported $3.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.14 by $0.05. Deere & Company had a net margin of 12.94% and a return on equity of 27.31%. Analysts forecast that Deere & Company will post 19.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Deere & Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 8th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $1.62 dividend. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. Deere & Company’s payout ratio is 28.72%.

Insider Activity at Deere & Company

In related news, insider Rajesh Kalathur sold 24,580 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $500.61, for a total value of $12,304,993.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 74,878 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,484,675.58. This trade represents a 24.71 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.29% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on DE. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Deere & Company from $400.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Deere & Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $510.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Friday, December 6th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Deere & Company from $401.00 to $450.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 25th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Deere & Company from $430.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Deere & Company from $470.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $460.00.

About Deere & Company

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.