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The MoatWide moat

Deere & Company (DE) — moat facet

Deere earns about 21% on its equipment assets even at the trough, but its own bank drags the consolidated return to about 6%.

Deere has two returns, and the gap between them is the clearest description of the company. On the consolidated books, where a bank with $54.8 billion of debt sits beside a factory, return on invested capital was 6.34% in fiscal 2025 on stockanalysis's method1, below any reasonable cost of capital. On the equipment business alone, Deere's own operating return on operating assets was 21.7%2, and our estimate of the equipment operations' return on invested capital is about 20.6%3. The first number describes a lender. The second describes the moat.

Deere return measures, fiscal 2025 (%)6.3Consolidated ROIC(stockanalysis)12.3Financial ServicesROE (calc)20.6EquipmentROIC (estimate)21.7Equipment OROA (Deere)stockanalysis.com ratios; Deere Form 10-K FY2025; Deere proxy statement 2026; hurdle about 9%
The bank hides the factory.

The repo's standard method cannot be run on Deere at all: its balance sheet is unclassified, with no current-liabilities line, because a bank's liabilities do not split that way. That is itself a sign of how much of Deere is a finance company.

The moat has four facets. The Dealer and Service Network is about 2,050 independent North American dealer locations and parts for every working machine. The Captive Bank lets those dealers sell on Deere's credit. Precision Technology puts more than 520 million acres in Deere's systems. Earning Through the Cycle is the discipline that kept equipment margins in double digits at the bottom.

The trajectory is stable with one new crack. The FTC order of July 2026 gives independent repair shops the repair resources Deere gives its dealers for ten years4, which removes the exclusivity of the dealer's service relationship. Against that, the technology lead is widening.

Deere's own incentive plan shows how much higher it now sets the bar. The proxy says the fiscal 2025 operating return threshold at trough is 18%, against the 12% required for positive shareholder value added5. Executives were paid a short-term incentive at 160.8% of target for fiscal 2025, but the long-term plan was cut by 25% because relative shareholder return was below threshold6: the operating moat beat its targets while the shares lagged their peers over the measurement period.

The equipment return is the number that tests the moat. If the equipment operations' operating return on operating assets falls below 18% in a year of trough sales, the claim that Deere has structurally improved will fail. Held above 20% through fiscal 2026, it would confirm a moat that is wide in everything but the consolidated accounts.

Moat trajectory: Holding steady

OROA 21.7% at trough; FTC order opens repair tools to independent shops.

The number that tests this moat
Moat Explorer calc
Return on invested capital vs a 9% hurdle
consolidated 6.34% (FY2025) against equipment operations about 20.6% (our estimate) and OROA 21.7%

The consolidated figure includes the bank's $54.8bn of debt; the equipment figures test the moat. Equipment OROA below 18% at trough would falsify it.

How it's calculated: Equipment operations net income plus after-tax interest expense (372 x 0.8) divided by adjusted equity plus borrowings less cash and marketable securities at fiscal year end, Deere Form 10-K FY2025 supplemental consolidating data; consolidated figure from stockanalysis.com. The repo method (tools_roic_edgar.py) returns no value because Deere tags no current liabilities (unclassified balance sheet).
Source: Moat Explorer calculation from Deere & Company filings ↗
Aspects of the moat
DIG DEEPER 01
The Dealer and Service Network
Deere's moat is the independent dealer who can fix a machine during harvest; the network grew through a 30% sales fall, but the FTC order now opens…
DIG DEEPER 02
The Captive Bank
Deere's captive bank holds $70 billion of assets and lets dealers sell on Deere's credit terms, at the cost of making the consolidated accounts look…
DIG DEEPER 03
Precision Technology
Deere's precision technology reaches more than 520 million acres and sells machines, but its software revenue is still too small to report.
DIG DEEPER 04
Earning Through the Cycle
Deere earned a 21.7% operating return on its equipment assets in a year of below-trough sales, a floor more than three times the 2015 standard.
References
  1. Third-party estimateOn the consolidated books, where a bank with $54.8 billion of debt sits beside a factory, return on invested capital was 6.34% in fiscal 2025 on stockanalysis's method, below any reasonable cost of capital.
    stockanalysis.com, Deere & Company ratios by fiscal year: market value at fiscal year end 106,137 (FY2021), 119,777, 104,011, 111,610, 124,792 (FY2025), $ millions; P/E 17.80, 16.80, 10.23, 15.72, 24.82; return on invested capital 11.05%, 11.78%, 13.91%, 8.88%, 6.34%; return on equity 38.02%, 36.76%, 48.08%, 31.64%, 20.43%. — FY2021-FY2025 · publ. October 2026 · source ↗
  2. ReportedOn the equipment business alone, Deere's own operating return on operating assets was 21.7%, and our estimate of the equipment operations' return on invested capital is about 20.6%.
    Deere & Company proxy statement (DEF 14A), 2026 - OROA of 21.7% and OROS of 12.6% in fiscal 2025 at 76% of mid-cycle, the OROA target grid against fiscal 2015, the 25% LTIC reduction for below-threshold relative TSR, and holders of more than 5%: Cascade Investment 8.74%, Vanguard 8.01%, BlackRock 6.36%. — FY2025 · publ. 14 January 2026 · source ↗
  3. Moat Explorer calcOn the equipment business alone, Deere's own operating return on operating assets was 21.7%, and our estimate of the equipment operations' return on invested capital is about 20.6%.
    Moat Explorer calculation from Deere & Company reported figures ($ millions unless stated; fiscal years end on the Sunday nearest 31 October). Cycle: net income FY2025 over FY2023 5,027 / 10,166 - 1 = -50.6%; net sales and revenues 45,684 / 61,251 - 1 = -25.4%; FY2025 over FY2024 45,684 / 51,716 - 1 = -11.7%; equipment net sales 38,917 / 55,565 - 1 = -30.0%; Production & Precision Ag sales 17,311 / 26,790 - 1 = -35.4%, FY2025 over FY2024 17,311 / 20,834 - 1 = -16.9%; Small Ag & Turf 10,224 / 13,980 - 1 = -26.9%; Construction & Forestry 11,382 / 14,795 - 1 = -23.1%; PPA operating profit 2,671 / 6,996 - 1 = -61.8%; PPA sales 2020-2023 26,790 / 12,962 = 2.07 times, more than double; PPA U.S. net sales and revenues 7,753 / 13,917 - 1 = -44.3%; U.S. net sales and revenues 23,974 / 34,105 - 1 = -29.7%; Latin America 5,607 / 8,197 - 1 = -31.6%; production agriculture product line 16,960 / 26,450 - 1 = -35.9%; roadbuilding 3,552 / 3,794 - 1 = -6.4%; roadbuilding over Construction & Forestry net sales 3,552 / 11,382 = 31.2%. Construction & Forestry product lines FY2023 to FY2025: construction 4,570 / 6,842 - 1 = -33.2%; compact construction 1,922 / 2,451 - 1 = -21.6%; forestry 1,124 / 1,429 - 1 = -21.3%; roadbuilding -6.4%. Segment margins (operating profit over segment net sales): PPA 2020 1,969 / 12,962 = 15.2%; 2021 3,334 / 16,509 = 20.2%; 2022 4,386 / 22,002 = 19.9%; 2023 6,996 / 26,790 = 26.1%; 2024 4,514 / 20,834 = 21.7%; 2025 2,671 / 17,311 = 15.4%. SAT 2020 1,000 / 9,363 = 10.7%; 2021 2,045 / 11,860 = 17.2%; 2022 1,949 / 13,381 = 14.6%; 2023 2,472 / 13,980 = 17.7%; 2024 1,627 / 10,969 = 14.8%; 2025 1,207 / 10,224 = 11.8%. CF 2020 590 / 8,947 = 6.6%; 2021 1,489 / 11,368 = 13.1%; 2022 2,014 / 12,534 = 16.1%; 2023 2,695 / 14,795 = 18.2%; 2024 2,009 / 12,956 = 15.5%; 2025 1,028 / 11,382 = 9.0%. Equipment operations operating profit 2,671 + 1,207 + 1,028 = 4,906 (FY2025), 4,514 + 1,627 + 2,009 = 8,150 (FY2024), 6,996 + 2,472 + 2,695 = 12,163 (FY2023); equipment operating margin 4,906 / 38,917 = 12.6%, 8,150 / 44,759 = 18.2%, 12,163 / 55,565 = 21.9%; first nine months FY2026 (1,372 + 1,538 + 1,134 = 4,044) / 30,779 = 13.1%; Q3 FY2026 527 + 622 + 436 = 1,585 against Q3 FY2025 580 + 485 + 237 = 1,302, an increase of 283. Nine-month operating profit change: PPA 1,372 / 2,066 - 1 = -33.6%; SAT 1,538 / 1,182 - 1 = +30.1%; CF 1,134 / 681 - 1 = +66.5%. PPA share of segment operating profit FY2023 6,996 / 12,958 = 54.0%; FY2025 2,671 / 6,020 = 44.4%. FS segment operating profit 1,114 / 795 - 1 = +40.1%. Equipment gross margin (net sales less consolidated cost of sales): FY2023 55,565 - 37,715 = 17,850, / 55,565 = 32.1%; FY2024 (44,759 - 30,775) / 44,759 = 31.2%; FY2025 38,917 - 28,159 = 10,758, / 38,917 = 27.6%. Equipment share of net sales and revenues 38,917 / 45,684 = 85.2% (FY2025); 55,565 / 61,251 = 90.7% (FY2023). Financial Services band (total net sales and revenues less equipment net sales): 2020 35,540 - (12,962 + 9,363 + 8,947 = 31,272) = 4,268; 2021 44,024 - (16,509 + 11,860 + 11,368 = 39,737) = 4,287; 2022 52,577 - (22,002 + 13,381 + 12,534 = 47,917) = 4,660; 2023 61,251 - 55,565 = 5,686; 2024 51,716 - 44,759 = 6,957; 2025 45,684 - 38,917 = 6,767 = finance and interest income 5,748 + other income 1,019; share of revenue 6,767 / 45,684 = 14.8% (FY2025), 5,686 / 61,251 = 9.3% (FY2023). Financial Services share of consolidated assets 70,021 / 105,996 = 66.1%; share of net income 890 / 5,027 = 17.7%; return on equity 890 / ((7,069 + 7,454) / 2 = 7,262) = 12.3%; Financial Services borrowings 13,382 + 6,595 + 34,788 = 54,765; consolidated borrowings 13,796 + 6,596 + 43,544 = 63,936; FS share 54,765 / 63,936 = 85.7%; Financial Services equity over assets 7,069 / 70,021 = 10.1%, about a tenth (debt to equity 8.6 to 1). Interest compensation to Financial Services 414 / 687 - 1 = -39.7%. Financing receivables 44,575 (about $44.6bn) / 23,702 = 1.88 times. Write-offs six months FY2026 150 / 44,575 = 0.3%. Equipment operations: net debt 9,171 - 6,557 = 2,614 (FY2025); 2,614 / 4,137 = 0.63 years of net income, less than eight months; return on invested capital estimate FY2025 (4,137 + 372 x 0.8 = 4,435) / (18,887 + 9,171 - 6,557 = 21,501) = 20.6%; FY2024 (6,404 + 396 x 0.8 = 6,721) / (15,389 + 7,516 - 5,740 = 17,165) = 39.2%; 20% tax on interest is an approximation. Equipment operations cash flow 5,100 / 11,919 - 1 = -57.2%. Costs and people: R&D over equipment net sales 2,177 / 55,565 = 3.9% (FY2023), 2,290 / 44,759 = 5.1% (FY2024), 2,311 / 38,917 = 5.9% (FY2025), 1,704 / 30,779 = 5.5% (nine months FY2026); nine-month R&D 1,704 / 1,631 - 1 = +4.5%; R&D at the FY2023 ratio 38,917 x 3.9% = about 1,520, difference 2,311 - 1,520 = about 790, about 2 points of 38,917. Employees 82,956 - 73,146 = 9,810, about 9,800, 9,810 / 82,956 = 11.8%. Tariff cost about 600 / 4,906 = 12.2% of equipment operating profit; 1,100 / 4,906 = 22%, about a fifth. Trade receivables 7,723 / 6,103 - 1 = +26.5%. Wirtgen first-year operating profit 116 / 5,327 = 2.2%; CF operating profit 1,028 / 5,327 = 19.3%, about a fifth; CF goodwill 3,051 / 4,188 = 72.9%. Tenna goodwill 286 / 439 = 65%. Backlog CF 3.8 / 2.2 - 1 = +73%. Engaged acres per connected machine 520 million / 1.2 million = about 433. Capital returns: cash returned FY2023 dividends paid 1,427 + repurchases 7,216 = 8,643; FY2025 1,720 + 1,138 = 2,858; 2,858 / 8,643 - 1 = -66.9%; diluted shares 271.7 / 316.6 - 1 = -14.2%; dividend payout 6.48 / 18.50 = 35.0%. Fiscal 2016 net margin 1,523.9 / 26,644.0 = 5.7%. Diluted EPS FY2025 over FY2023 18.50 / 34.63 - 1 = -46.6%. Equipment segment identifiable assets 8,787 + 3,987 + 7,792 = 20,566, over Financial Services 70,021 = 29.4%, less than a third. Valuation: trailing twelve months to 2 August 2026 net sales and revenues 45,684 - 33,290 + 35,589 = 47,983; net income 5,027 - 3,962 + 3,808 = 4,873; diluted EPS 18.50 - 14.57 + 14.06 = 17.99; P/E 185,230 / 4,873 = 38.0; P/S 185,230 / 47,983 = 3.86; market value over FY2023 net income 185,230 / 10,166 = 18.2 times; market value change since FY2025 year end 185,230 / 124,792 - 1 = +48.4%; trailing net income 4,873 / 5,027 - 1 = -3.1%; analyst target 691.83 / 687.00 - 1 = +0.7%; Deere over CNH and AGCO 185.23 / (16.67 + 8.03 = 24.70) = 7.5 times; Deere over Caterpillar 185.23 / 388.62 = 47.7%, about half; Caterpillar over Deere 388.62 / 185.23 = 2.1 times. Year-end P/E and P/S: 2015 24.15bn / 1,940 = 12.45, / 28,863 = 0.837; 2016 32.65 / 1,524 = 21.42, / 26,644 = 1.225; 2017 50.49 / 2,159 = 23.39, / 29,738 = 1.698; 2018 47.52 / 2,368 = 20.07, / 37,358 = 1.272; 2019 54.28 / 3,253 = 16.69, / 39,258 = 1.383; 2020 84.31 / 2,751 = 30.65, / 35,540 = 2.372; 2021 106.137 / 5,963 = 17.80, / 44,024 = 2.411; 2022 119.777 / 7,131 = 16.80, / 52,577 = 2.278; 2023 104.011 / 10,166 = 10.23, / 61,251 = 1.698; 2024 111.610 / 7,100 = 15.72, / 51,716 = 2.158; 2025 124.792 / 5,027 = 24.82, / 45,684 = 2.732. Guidance: fiscal 2026 net income midpoints (4,000 + 4,750) / 2 = 4,375 (November 2025); (4,500 + 5,000) / 2 = 4,750 (February and May 2026); (4,750 + 5,000) / 2 = 4,875, $4.875bn (August 2026); 4,875 / 5,027 - 1 = -3.0%; nine months 3,808 / 4,875 = 78.1%; implied fourth quarter 4,750 - 3,808 = 942 to 5,000 - 3,808 = 1,192. U.S. share of net sales and revenues 23,974 / 45,684 = 52.5% (FY2025), 34,105 / 61,251 = 55.7% (FY2023) - cycle, costs, people, capital returns and geography. — FY2015-Q3 FY2026 · publ. October 2026 · source ↗
    Method: Arithmetic on figures reported in Deere & Company Forms 10-K, 10-Q, results releases, the 2026 proxy statement, the Q3 FY2026 call, and stockanalysis.com market data; each operand is stated in the source line.
  4. ReportedThe FTC order of July 2026 gives independent repair shops the repair resources Deere gives its dealers for ten years, which removes the exclusivity of the dealer's service relationship.
    Federal Trade Commission press release, 8 July 2026 - settlement with Deere & Company and plaintiff states requiring Deere for ten years to provide farmers and independent repair providers with the repair resources it provides to authorized dealers. — July 2026 · publ. 8 July 2026 · source ↗
  5. ReportedThe proxy says the fiscal 2025 operating return threshold at trough is 18%, against the 12% required for positive shareholder value added.
    Deere & Company proxy statement (DEF 14A), 2026 - OROA of 21.7% and OROS of 12.6% in fiscal 2025 at 76% of mid-cycle, the OROA target grid against fiscal 2015, the 25% LTIC reduction for below-threshold relative TSR, and holders of more than 5%: Cascade Investment 8.74%, Vanguard 8.01%, BlackRock 6.36%. — FY2025 · publ. 14 January 2026 · source ↗
  6. ReportedExecutives were paid a short-term incentive at 160.8% of target for fiscal 2025, but the long-term plan was cut by 25% because relative shareholder return was below threshold: the operating moat beat its targets while the shares lagged their peers over the measurement period.
    Deere & Company proxy statement (DEF 14A), 2026 - OROA of 21.7% and OROS of 12.6% in fiscal 2025 at 76% of mid-cycle, the OROA target grid against fiscal 2015, the 25% LTIC reduction for below-threshold relative TSR, and holders of more than 5%: Cascade Investment 8.74%, Vanguard 8.01%, BlackRock 6.36%. — FY2025 · publ. 14 January 2026 · source ↗
Sources
Generated October 5, 2026