Deere , the world’s largest farm equipment manufacturer, raised its full-year net income forecast on Thursday and posted its first rise in quarterly profit in three years on the back of an AI-driven construction boom and tariff refunds. Rising U.S. government and private spending on infrastructure alongside the vast AI-fueled buildout of data centers has lifted demand for construction equipment, with Deere’s construction and forestry segment emerging as its fastest-growing business. Net sales in the segment rose 18 per cent from a year earlier. The trend has helped the company weather a prolonged lull in demand for its large tractors and combine harvesters amid rising costs and falling agricultural yields. Deere’s Small Ag & Turf segment — home to low horsepower tractors often used in dairy farming — posted a 12 per cent rise in net sales, with demand aided by improving prices for milk and beef. Revenue at its mainstay Production & Precision Agriculture segment, which includes its large green tractors and combine harvesters, dropped 6 per cent from a year earlier. CEO John C. May, however, said Deere continues “to believe 2026 will mark the bottom of the current ag equipment cycle.” The company reported a profit of US$5.10 per share for the quarter ended August 2, up from US$4.75 per share a year earlier and above analysts’ estimates of US$4.70 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG. Its quarterly revenue rose 6 per cent to US$11 billion, also beating expectations of US$10.73 billion. Deere’s quarterly profit rise was aided by a tariff refund of US$110 million during the quarter. The John Deere tractor manufacturer now expects 2026 net income of US$4.75 billion to US$5 billion, compared with its earlier projection of US$4.5 billion to US$5 billion. The midpoint of the new range is in line with Wall Street expectations. Shares of the company were up 1 per cent in premarket trading, after jumping about 6 per cent earlier in the day. (Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda)
