EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 315189
Filing Year: 2023
Filename: 315189_10-K_2023_0001558370-23-019812.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance, and business. You can identify forward-looking statements as they do not relate to historical or current facts and by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “will,” “aim,” “should,” “plan,” “forecast,” “target,” “guide,” “project,” “intend,” “could,” and similar words or expressions.
All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that we expected. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations, or cautionary statements, and other important information about forward-looking statements are disclosed under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” and Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Forward-Looking Statements,” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
As used herein, the terms “John Deere,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or “the Company” refer to Deere & Company and its subsidiaries unless designated or identified otherwise. All amounts are presented in millions of dollars, unless otherwise specified.
Products
The John Deere enterprise has manufactured agricultural equipment since 1837. Deere & Company was incorporated under the laws of Delaware in 1958. Our business is managed through the following four business segments: production and precision agriculture (PPA), small agriculture and turf (SAT), construction and forestry (CF), and financial services (John Deere Financial or FS).
BUSINESS SEGMENT
PRODUCTION AND PRECISION AGRICULTURE
SMALL AGRICULTURE AND TURF
CONSTRUCTION AND FORESTRY
FINANCIAL SERVICES
PRODUCTS
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Large and Certain
Mid-Size Tractors
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Combines
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Cotton Pickers and Cotton Strippers
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Sugarcane Harvesters
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Sugarcane Loaders and Pull Behind Scrapers
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Soil Preparation, Seeding, Application, and Crop Care Equipment
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Tillage Equipment
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Certain Mid-Size, Utility, and Compact Utility Tractors
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Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters
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Hay and Forage Equipment
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Rotary Mowers
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Utility Vehicles
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Riding Lawn Equipment and Commercial Mowing Equipment
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Golf Course Equipment
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Backhoe Loaders
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Crawler Dozers and Loaders
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Four-Wheel-Drive Loaders and Compact Track Loaders
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Excavators and Compact Excavators
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Equipment used in Timber Harvesting
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Road Building and Road Rehabilitation Equipment
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Articulated Dump Trucks and Motor Graders
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Retail Notes
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Revolving Charge Accounts
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Wholesale Receivables
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Leases
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Extended Warranties
CROPS/FUNCTION
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Corn and Soy
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Small Grain
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Cotton
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Sugarcane
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Dairy and Livestock
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Lawn and Property Maintenance
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Golf Course Maintenance
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High-Value Crop Solutions
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Earthmoving
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Forestry
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Roadbuilding
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Financial Solutions
Smart Industrial Operating Model and Leap Ambitions
In fiscal year 2020, we announced our Smart Industrial Operating Model. The model is based on the following three focus areas:
1. Production Systems. A strategic alignment of products and solutions around our customers’ production systems. Production systems refer to the series of steps our customers take to execute different tasks, operations, and projects to grow an agricultural product or execute a project.
2. Technology Stack. Investments in technology, as well as research and development, that deliver intelligent solutions to our customers through hardware and devices, embedded software, connectivity, data platforms, and applications. The technology stack leverages the core technologies mentioned in the previous sentence across the enterprise, including digital capabilities, automation, autonomy, and alternative power technologies. The stack has the potential to unlock economic and sustainable value for customers by optimizing jobs, strengthening decision-making, and better connecting the steps of a production system.
3. Lifecycle Solutions. The enterprise integration of our aftermarket and support capabilities to more effectively manage customer equipment, service, and technology needs across the full lifetime of a John Deere product, and with a specific lifecycle solution focus on the ownership experience. This integrated support seeks to enhance customer value through proactive and reactive support, easy access to parts, value-add services, and precision upgrades, regardless of when a customer purchases our equipment.
Building upon the Smart Industrial Operating Model, we announced our Leap Ambitions framework in fiscal year 2022. The Leap Ambitions are designed to boost economic value and sustainability for our customers. The ambitions align across our customers’ production systems seeking to optimize their operations to deliver better outcomes with fewer resources.
The Leap Ambitions framework has three components: (i) size the incremental market opportunity, quantifying the value that can be created; (ii) identify the key actions required to guide investment in digitalization, autonomy, automation, and alternative power technologies; and (iii) define the desired financial and sustainable outcomes we hope to achieve to help investors and stakeholders understand the opportunities that can be unlocked in the future through present investments. Applying this framework, the Leap Ambitions set goals to measure the results under our Smart Industrial Operating Model. Current financial and sustainability goals for the Leap Ambitions relate to workforce safety, agriculture customer outcomes, product circularity, environmental footprint, Solutions as a Service, and equipment operations operating return on sales (OROS).
We aim to deliver ongoing value across our product lines by digitally connecting certain equipment we produce, enabling our customers to leverage technology for better economic and more sustainable outcomes in their businesses. We are introducing viable alternative power technologies for various product families. We also plan to enhance how we deliver value by introducing and scaling a Solutions as a Service business model.
We also aim to enable our agriculture customers to be more sustainable in their production steps by providing technology solutions that help to improve their nitrogen use efficiency, increase their crop protection efficiency, and reduce their CO2e emissions.
We believe we will deliver ongoing value to our SAT customers by increasing the connectivity of their equipment, offering electric options where feasible in our product families, and working toward production of a fully autonomous, battery powered electric agricultural tractor. For our CF customers, we aim to deliver ongoing value by offering electric and hybrid-electric options where feasible in our product families and increasing the use of grade management control for earthmoving customers, intelligent boom control for forestry customers, and precision roadbuilding solutions for our roadbuilding customers.
We anticipate enabling sustainable outcomes for our customers. Specifically, we aim to enable our agriculture customers to be more sustainable in their production steps by providing technology solutions that help to improve their nitrogen use efficiency, increase their crop protection efficiency, and reduce their CO2e emissions.
Available Information
Our internet address is http://www.deere.com. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports are available on our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed or furnished with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission). The information contained on our website is not included in, nor incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Equipment Operations
Our equipment operations consist of three of our business segments: PPA, SAT, and CF. In fiscal year 2023, PPA generated $26,790 net sales and revenue, or 48 percent of equipment operations net sales and revenues; SAT generated $13,980 net sales and revenues, or 25 percent of equipment operations net sales and revenues; and CF generated $14,795 net sales and revenues, or 27 percent of equipment operations net sales.
Production and Precision Agriculture
As compared with fiscal year 2022, PPA net sales for fiscal year 2023 were:
(In millions of dollars)
% Change
Net Sales
$26,790
$22,002
22%
The PPA segment is committed to meeting the fundamental needs of our customers through a combination of equipment and technology designed to enable our customers to overcome some of their biggest challenges: doing more with less, labor shortages, volatile input costs, and executing jobs in tighter timeframes. This segment defines, develops, and delivers global equipment and technology solutions for production-scale growers of crops like large grains (such as corn and soy), small grains (such as wheat, oats, and barley), cotton, and sugarcane. Equipment manufactured and distributed by the segment includes large and certain mid-size tractors, combines, cotton pickers, cotton strippers, sugarcane harvesters, related harvesting front-end equipment, and pull-behind scrapers. In addition, the segment includes tillage, seeding, and application equipment, including sprayers and nutrient management and soil preparation machinery.
We have been bringing innovations to agriculture for nearly 200 years and continue to invest in the development and production of advanced technology through integrated agricultural solutions and precision technologies across our portfolio of equipment. We have developed a differentiated, production system-level approach that helps us understand how customers operate, focusing on their costs, identifying the opportunities for them to reduce inputs, and increasing productivity, yield improvement, and sustainability. This approach directs our work. Advancements such as precise global navigation satellite systems technology, advanced connectivity and telematics, on-board sensors and computing power, automation software, digital tools, applications, and analytics provide seamless integration of information designed to improve customer decision-making and job execution. Our advanced telematics systems remotely connect equipment owners, business managers, and dealers to equipment in the field. This provides real-time alerts and information about equipment location, utilization, performance, and maintenance to improve productivity and efficiency, as well as to monitor agronomic job execution.
We aim to support our customers and their equipment throughout the entire equipment lifecycle. To prevent downtime, we offer a wide variety of aftermarket and customer solutions to keep equipment running, including machine monitoring, remote diagnostics, predictive maintenance alerts, and e-commerce solutions.
Examples of recent developments to unlock customer value and address challenges in the field include ExactShot™ and FurrowVision, which help customers reduce inputs during planting applications, generating cost savings, and lowering their environmental footprint; our fully autonomous 8R tillage tractor with a GPS guidance system and stereo cameras to execute tillage work without an in-cab operator, which helps to address farmers’ labor challenges and time constraints; and See & Spray™ Ultimate, which targets the application of non-residual herbicides on weeds in corn, soybean, and cotton fields.
In addition to John Deere brand names, the table below provides a list of PPA products and their associated brand names:
PRODUCT
BRAND NAME
Sprayers
Hagie, Mazzotti
Planters and Cultivators
Monosem
Sprayers and Planters
PLA
Carbon Fiber Sprayer Booms
King Agro
Sugarcane Harvester Aftermarket Parts
Unimil
Aftermarket Parts for PPA Products
Vapormatic, A&I, Unimil, Alternatives by John Deere
Small Agriculture and Turf
As compared with fiscal year 2022, SAT net sales for fiscal year 2023 were:
(In millions of dollars)
% Change
Net Sales
$13,980
$13,381
4%
SAT is committed to meeting the needs of our customers through defining, developing, and delivering global equipment and technology solutions designed to unlock customer value and sustainability for dairy and livestock producers, high-value crop producers, and turf and utility customers. The segment works to provide product leadership while extending integrated agricultural solutions and precision technologies across its portfolio of equipment to unlock incremental value for customers. Similar to PPA, the SAT segment aims to support customers and their equipment through the entire equipment lifecycle.
Equipment manufactured and distributed by the segment includes certain mid-size, small and utility tractors, and related loaders and attachments; turf and utility equipment, including riding lawn equipment, commercial mowing equipment, golf course equipment, utility vehicles, implements for mowing, tilling, snow and debris handling, aerating, and other residential, commercial, golf, and sports turf care applications; and hay and forage equipment, including self-propelled forage harvesters and attachments, balers, and mowers. SAT equipment is sold primarily through independent retail dealer networks, although the segment also builds turf products for sale by mass retailers, including The Home Depot and Lowe’s. Our turf equipment is sold primarily in North American, Western European, and Australian markets.
In the small agriculture market, we have introduced autonomous solutions, connectivity capabilities, and a path to electrifying our future by delivering a portfolio that helps current customers meet sustainability goals while finding innovative ways to serve new customers and unlock new markets for mechanization, at scale. For example, our joint venture with GUSS Automation, LLC in fiscal year 2022 added to our portfolio an autonomous sprayer to target our high value crop customers’ needs. In fiscal year 2023, we announced the acquisition of Smart Apply, Inc., a precision spraying equipment company. The Smart Apply Intelligent Spray Control System™ stacked with GUSS Automation’s remote sprayer is aimed at the needs of our high-value crop customers to improve their productivity and optimize inputs. On the turf side of the business, in fiscal year 2023 we launched two battery-powered walk behind mowers and announced certain hybrid innovations.
In addition to John Deere brand names, the table below provides a list of SAT products and their associated brand names:
PRODUCT
BRAND NAME
Equipment Attachments
Frontier, Kemper, GreenSystem, Smart Apply
Aftermarket Parts for SAT
Vapormatic, A&I, Sunbelt, Alternatives by John Deere
Agriculture and Turf Operations
Smart Industrial Operating Model. Our PPA and SAT segments offer a full line of agriculture and turf equipment and related service parts. As part of our Smart Industrial Operating Model, the segments are aligned around production systems, enabling focus on delivering equipment, technology, and solutions across all the jobs customers execute during a season. Sales and marketing support for both the PPA and SAT segments continues to be organized around four geographic regions: U.S., Canada, and Australia; Latin America and South America; Europe, Middle East, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS); and Africa and Asia.
Business Environment. Sales of agricultural equipment are affected by total farm cash receipts, which reflect levels of farm commodity prices, acreage planted, crop yields, and government policies, including global trade policies, the amount and timing of government payments, and policies related to climate change. Sales also are influenced by general economic conditions, farmland prices, farmers’ debt levels and access to financing, interest and exchange rates, agricultural trends, including the production of and demand for renewable fuels, labor availability and costs, energy costs, tax policies, and other input costs associated with farming. Other key factors affecting new agricultural equipment sales are the value, age, and level of used equipment, including tractors, harvesting equipment, self-propelled sprayers, hay and forage equipment, and seeding equipment. Weather and climatic conditions also can affect buying decisions of agricultural equipment purchasers.
Innovations in machinery and technology also influence agricultural equipment purchasing. For example, larger, more productive equipment is well accepted where farmers are striving for more efficiency in their operations. Large, cost-efficient, highly mechanized agricultural operations account for an important share of worldwide farm output. These customers are increasingly adopting and integrating precision agricultural technologies like guidance, telematics, automation, and data management in their operations. The large-size agricultural equipment used on such farms has been particularly important to us. A large proportion of the equipment
operations’ total agricultural equipment sales in the U.S. and Canada, as well as in many countries outside the U.S. and Canada, are comprised of tractors over 100 horsepower, self-propelled combines, self-propelled cotton pickers, self-propelled forage harvesters, self-propelled sprayers, and seeding equipment. However, small tractors are also an important part of our global business. Further, we offer a number of harvesting solutions to support development of the mechanized harvesting of grain, oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane, forage, and biomass.
Retail sales of lawn and garden tractors, compact utility tractors, residential and commercial mowers, utility vehicles, and golf and turf equipment are influenced by the housing market, weather conditions, consumer spending patterns, and general economic conditions like unemployment, interest, and inflation rates.
Seasonality. Seasonal patterns in retail demand for agricultural equipment can result in substantial variations in the volume and mix of products sold to retail customers during the year. Seasonal demand must be estimated in advance, and equipment must be manufactured in anticipation of such demand to achieve efficient utilization of personnel and facilities throughout the year. The PPA and SAT segments can incur substantial seasonal variations in cash flows to finance production and inventory of agricultural and turf equipment. The segments also incur costs to finance sales to dealers in advance of seasonal demand.
For certain equipment, we offer early order programs, which can include discounts to retail customers that place orders well in advance of the use season. Production schedules are based, in part, on these early order programs; however, during periods of high demand, some factories may still produce after the use season. New combine and cotton harvesting equipment has been sold under early order programs with waivers of retail finance charges available to customers who take delivery of machines during non-use seasons.
In Australia, Canada, and the U.S., there are typically several used equipment trade-in transactions that take place in connection with most new agricultural equipment sales. To provide support to our dealers in these countries for carrying and ultimately selling this used inventory to retail customers, we provide these dealers with pools of funds awarded as a percentage of the dealer cost for eligible new equipment sales at the time of the new equipment settlement.
Retail demand for turf and utility equipment is normally higher in the second and third fiscal quarters. We have pursued a strategy of building and shipping such equipment as close to retail demand as possible. Consequently, to increase asset turnover and reduce the average level of field inventories throughout the year, production and shipment schedules of these product lines are normally proportionately higher in the second and third fiscal quarters of each year, corresponding closely to the seasonal pattern of retail sales. However, the patterns of seasonality have been affected by the supply chain disruptions experienced during fiscal year 2022.
Construction and Forestry
As compared with fiscal year 2022, CF net sales for fiscal year 2023 were:
(In millions of dollars)
% Change
Net Sales
$14,795
$12,534
18%
Our CF segment is committed to meeting the need for smart and more sustainable solutions to help our customers meet industry challenges, including jobsite safety, a shortage of skilled labor, volatile input costs, reducing rework, maximizing uptime, and minimizing their environmental footprint. CF also aims to support customers and their equipment through the entire equipment lifecycle (see PPA section above).
To address these challenges and unlock value for customers, we deliver a robust portfolio of construction, roadbuilding, and forestry products with precision technology solutions. Our smart solutions such as SmartWeigh™, grade control offerings, machine and system automation, and operations center, are designed to allow customers to complete more functions with fewer inputs, reduce rework and guesswork, and transform data into insights to allow for better decisions. Obstacle detection solutions such as SmartDetect™ supplements operator visibility on the jobsite through a combination of cameras, radar, and machine learning. Additionally, we plan to deliver hybrid-electric and battery electric equipment solutions to help customers reduce tailpipe emissions without sacrificing power and performance. We currently have the 644X four-wheel-drive loader and 944X four-wheel-drive loader in production with an electric drive coupled with a diesel engine.
Our primary construction products include excavators, wheel loaders, motor graders, dozers, backhoes, articulated dump trucks, compact construction equipment including skid steers, compact excavators, and compact track loaders, along with a variety of attachments. Our Wirtgen roadbuilding products include milling machines, pavers, compactors, rollers, crushers, screens, and asphalt plants. Similar to the construction product lineup, the Wirtgen brand also provides a technology stack aimed at allowing customers to make smarter and more sustainable decisions. Technology offerings include Wirtgen Performance Tracker, Mill Assist, Level Pro, Vögele Roadscan, Smart Compact, WITOS Paving, Spective Connect, AutoTrac™, and John Deere Connected Support™.
In forestry, our primary products include skidders, wheeled and tracked feller bunchers, forwarders, knuckleboom loaders, wheeled and tracked harvesters, swing machines, and precision forestry technology solutions such as Intelligent Boom Control, TimberMatic™ maps, and TimberManager™. These solutions allow customers to closely track jobsite progress and provide visibility into fleet location, utilization, performance, and maintenance information.
We have a number of initiatives in the rent-to-rent, or short-term rental, market for construction, earthmoving, roadbuilding, and material handling equipment. These include specially designed rental programs for our dealers and expanded cooperation with major national equipment rental companies.
We own retail forestry sales operations in Australia, Brazil, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In addition, the Wirtgen Group sells its products primarily through company-owned sales and service subsidiaries in many markets worldwide (most significantly in Europe, India, and Australia). In most other geographies, we sell through an independent dealer channel.
The prevailing levels of residential, commercial, and public construction, investment in infrastructure, and the condition of the forestry products industry influence retail sales of our construction, roadbuilding, and forestry equipment. General economic conditions, interest rate levels, the availability of credit, and certain commodity prices, such as those applicable to oil and gas, pulp, paper, and saw logs, also influence sales.
In addition to John Deere brand names, the table below provides a list of CF products and their associated brand names:
PRODUCT
BRAND NAME
Roadbuilding Equipment
Wirtgen, Vögele, Hamm, Kleemann, Benninghoven, and Ciber
Forestry Attachments
Waratah
Competition
The equipment operations sell products and services in a variety of competitive global and regional markets. The principal competitive factors in all markets include product performance, innovation, quality, distribution, sustainability, customer service, and value. John Deere’s brand recognition is a competitive factor in North America and many other parts of the world.
The agricultural equipment industry continues to change and is becoming even more competitive through the emergence and expanding global capability of many competitors. The competitive environment for the agriculture and turf operations includes some global competitors, including AGCO Corporation, CLAAS KGaA mbH, CNH Industrial N.V., Kubota Tractor Corporation, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, and The Toro Company, as well as many regional and local competitors. These competitors have varying numbers of product lines competing with our products and each has varying degrees of regional focus. Additional competition within the agricultural equipment industry has come from a variety of short-line and specialty manufacturers, as well as local or regional competitors, with differing manufacturing and marketing methods. As technology increasingly enables enhanced productivity in agriculture, the industry is also attracting non-traditional competitors, including technology-focused companies and start-up ventures.
Our forestry and roadbuilding businesses operate globally. The construction business operates in competitive markets in North and South America, as well as other global markets. Global competitors of the CF segment include Caterpillar Inc., CNH Industrial N.V., Doosan Infracore Co., Ltd. and its subsidiary Doosan Bobcat Inc., Fayat Group, GOMACO Corporation, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Komatsu Ltd., Kubota Tractor Corporation, Ponsse Plc, SANY Group Co., Ltd., Terex, Tigercat Industries Inc., Volvo Construction Equipment (part of Volvo Group AB), and XCMG.
Manufacturing and Assembly
Common manufacturing processes and techniques are used in producing components for PPA, SAT, and CF equipment sold by us and our dealers. The equipment operations also pursue external sales of selected parts that can be manufactured and supplied to third parties on a competitive basis, including engines, power train components, and electronic components. The equipment operations’ manufacturing strategy involves four elements: Build a Stronger Business, Deliver Innovation, Excite the Customer, and Live the Team.
Build a Stronger Business refers to our ability to execute lean initiatives supported by safety, quality, delivery, and productivity goals.
Deliver Innovation refers to implementing our digitally connected factory projects to improve efficiency and differentiated value. We implement technology solutions to support our factories across the globe to increase our speed of manufacturing innovation and allow the workforce to focus on high-value tasks.
Excite the Customer refers to designing operations to be flexible and accommodate product design changes to meet market conditions and changing customer requirements.
Live the Team refers to building a safety culture by ensuring that employees are safe at work.
To utilize manufacturing facilities and technology more effectively, the equipment operations pursue continuous improvements in manufacturing processes, including steps to streamline manufacturing processes and enhance responsiveness to customers. Our flexible assembly lines can accommodate a wider product mix and deliver products in line with dealer and customer demand. Additionally, considerable effort is being directed to manufacturing cost reduction through process improvement and improvements in product design, advanced manufacturing technology, and supply management and logistics, as well as compensation incentives related to productivity and organizational structure.
See Item 2 “Properties” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information about our manufacturing facilities.
Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, and Trade Secrets
We own a significant number of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and intellectual property licenses related to our products and services and expect the number to grow as we continue to pursue technological innovations. We further our competitive position by filing patent and trademark applications in the U.S. and internationally to protect technology, improvements considered important to the business, and our brand. We believe that, taken together, our rights under these patents and licenses are important to our operations and competitive position, but do not regard any of our businesses as being dependent upon any single patent or family of patents. See “Risk Factors- Our business could be adversely affected by the infringement or loss of intellectual property rights” for more information.
Sales and Distribution
Through the U.S. and Canada, we market products to approximately 2,050 independent dealer locations. Of these, approximately 1,600 sell agricultural equipment, while approximately 450 sell construction, earthmoving, material handling, roadbuilding, and/or forestry equipment. In addition, roadbuilding equipment is sold at approximately 90 roadbuilding-only locations that may carry products that compete with our construction, earthmoving, material handling, and/or forestry equipment. Turf equipment is sold at most John Deere agricultural equipment locations, a few construction, earthmoving, material handling, roadbuilding, and/or forestry equipment locations, and about 280 turf-only locations, many of which also sell dissimilar lines of non-John Deere products. In addition, certain lawn and garden product lines are sold through The Home Depot and Lowe’s.
Outside the U.S. and Canada, our agriculture and turf equipment is sold to distributors and dealers for resale in over 100 countries. Sales and administrative offices are in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, South Africa, Spain, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Turf equipment sales outside the U.S. and Canada occur primarily in Western Europe and Australia. Construction, earthmoving, material handling, and forestry equipment is sold to distributors and dealers primarily by sales offices located in Australia, Brazil, Finland, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Some of these dealers are independently owned while we own others. Roadbuilding equipment is sold directly to retail customers and independent distributors and dealers for resale. As of November 1, 2022, we did not renew dealer agreements in Russia, and in October 2023, we sold our roadbuilding business in Russia. Consequently, we no longer sell equipment in Russia. The Wirtgen Group operates company-owned sales and service subsidiaries in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. The equipment operations operate centralized parts distribution warehouses in the U.S., Brazil, and Germany in coordination with regional parts depots and distribution centers in Argentina, Australia, China, India, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
We market engines, power trains, and electronic components worldwide through select sales branches or directly to regional and global original equipment manufacturers and independently owned engine distributors.
Raw Materials
We purchase raw materials, manufactured components, and replacement parts for our equipment, engines, and other products from leading suppliers both domestically and internationally. These materials and components include a variety of steel products, metal castings, forgings, plastics, hydraulics, electronics, and ready-to-assemble components made to certain specifications. We also purchase various goods and services used for production, logistics, offices, and research and development. We develop and maintain sourcing strategies for our purchased materials and emphasize long-term supplier relationships at the core of these strategies. We use a variety of agreements with suppliers intended to drive innovation, ensure availability and delivery of industry-leading quality raw materials and components, manage costs on a globally competitive basis, protect our intellectual property, and minimize other supply-related risks. We actively monitor supply chain risks to minimize the likelihood of business disruptions caused by the supply base,
including supplier financial viability, capacity, business continuity, labor availability, quality, delivery, cybersecurity, weather-related events, and natural disasters. We have implemented mitigation efforts to minimize the impact of potential and actual supply chain disruptions on our customers. Examples include working with the supply base to prioritize allocations to improve material availability, multi-sourcing selected parts and materials, entering long term contracts for some critical components, and using alternative freight carriers to expedite delivery.
Backlog Orders
The dollar amount of backlog orders as of October 29, 2023 was approximately $7.9 billion for the PPA segment and $3.3 billion for the SAT segment, compared with $9.7 billion and $4.6 billion, respectively, at October 30, 2022. The agriculture and turf backlog are generally highest in the second and third quarters due to seasonal buying trends in these industries. The dollar amount of backlog orders for the CF segment was approximately $6.4 billion at October 29, 2023, compared with $8.2 billion at October 30, 2022, including, for both periods, backlog orders for roadbuilding equipment, which had not historically been included in discussions of the CF segment’s backlog orders. Backlog orders for equipment operations include all orders deemed to be firm as of the referenced date. Backlog orders decreased as demand has declined.
Financial Services
U.S. and Canada. The financial services segment primarily provides and administers financing for retail purchases from our dealers of new equipment manufactured by our agricultural and turf and construction and forestry markets, as well as used equipment taken in trade for this equipment. The Company and John Deere Construction & Forestry Company (a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company) are referred to as the “sales companies.” John Deere Capital Corporation (Capital Corporation), a U.S. financial services subsidiary, generally purchases retail installment sales and loan contracts (retail notes) from the sales companies. In Canada, John Deere Financial Inc., a Canadian financial services subsidiary, purchases and finances retail notes acquired by John Deere Canada ULC, our Canadian sales company. The terms of retail notes and the basis on which the financial services operations acquire retail notes from the sales companies are governed by agreements with the sales companies. The financial services segment also finances and services revolving charge accounts, in most cases acquired from and offered through merchants in the agricultural and turf markets. Additionally, the financial services operations provide wholesale financing to dealers of our agriculture and turf equipment and construction and forestry equipment (wholesale notes), primarily to finance inventories of equipment for those dealers. The various financing options offered by the financial services operations are designed to enhance sales of our products and generate financing income for the financial services operations. In the U.S. and Canada, certain subsidiaries included in the financial services segment offer extended equipment warranties.
Retail notes acquired by the sales companies are immediately sold to the financial services operations. The equipment operations are the financial services operations’ major source of business, although many retail purchasers of our products finance their purchases outside our organization through a variety of sources, including commercial banks and finance and leasing companies.
The financial services operations offer retail leases to equipment users in the U.S. A small number of leases are executed with units of local governments. Leases are usually written for periods ranging from less than one year to seven years, and typically contain an option permitting the customer to purchase the equipment at the end of the lease term. Retail leases also are offered in a generally similar manner to customers in Canada.
The financial services operations’ terms for financing equipment retail sales (other than smaller items financed with unsecured revolving charge accounts) generally provide for retention of a security interest in the equipment financed. Finance charges are sometimes waived for specified periods or reduced on certain John Deere products sold or leased in advance of the season of use or in other sales promotions. The financial services operations generally receive compensation from the sales companies at approximate market interest rates for periods during which finance charges are waived or reduced on the retail notes or leases. The cost is accounted for as a deduction in arriving at net sales by the equipment operations.
We have an agreement with Capital Corporation to make payments to Capital Corporation such that its consolidated ratio of earnings to fixed charges is not less than 1.05 to 1 for any four consecutive fiscal quarterly periods. We also have committed to continuing to own, directly or through one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries, at least 51 percent of the voting shares of capital stock of Capital Corporation and to maintain Capital Corporation’s consolidated tangible net worth at not less than $50 million. Our obligations to make payments to Capital Corporation under this agreement are independent of whether Capital Corporation is in default on its indebtedness, obligations, or other liabilities. Further, our obligations under the agreement are not measured by the amount of Capital Corporation’s indebtedness, obligations, or other liabilities. Our obligations to make payments under this agreement are expressly stated not to be a guaranty of any specific indebtedness, obligation, or liability of Capital Corporation and are enforceable only by or in the name of Capital Corporation. As of October 29, 2023, we were in compliance with all of our obligations, and no payments were required under this agreement in fiscal year 2023 or fiscal year 2022. At October 29, 2023, we indirectly owned
100 percent of the voting shares of Capital Corporation’s capital stock and Capital Corporation’s consolidated tangible net worth was $5,901.6 million.
Outside the U.S. and Canada. The financial services operations also offer financing, primarily for our products, in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, New Zealand, and in several other countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. John Deere Financial sold its financial services business in Russia during the second quarter of fiscal year 2023. In certain markets, financing is offered through cooperation agreements or joint ventures with other financial institutions. The way the financial services operations offer financing in these countries is affected by a variety of country-specific laws, regulations, and customs, including those governing property rights and debtor obligations, which are subject to change, and which may introduce greater risk to the financial services operations.
The financial services operations also offer to select customers and dealers credit enhanced international export financing primarily for the purchase of our products.
Additional information on the financial services operations is provided in the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” (MD&A) section in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Environmental Matters
We are subject to a variety of local, state, and federal environmental laws and regulations in the U.S., as well as the environmental laws and regulations of other countries in which we conduct business. We strive to comply with applicable laws and regulations; however, in the event of noncompliance, we could be subject to fines and other penalties. Compliance with these laws and regulations adds to the cost of our production operations. Compliance with emissions regulations adds to the cost of our products. However, we do not expect to incur material capital expenditures for environmental control facilities during fiscal year 2024. In addition to ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, we aim to reduce our environmental footprint through our Leap Ambitions framework and seek opportunities to reduce environmental impacts on the communities where we operate.
The U.S., the European Union (EU), India, and other governments throughout the world have enacted, and continue to enact, laws and regulations to reduce off-road engine emissions. Compliance with these regulations requires significant investments in the development of new engine technologies and after-treatment systems.
Governments also are implementing laws regulating products across their life cycles, including raw material sourcing and the storage, distribution, sale, use, and disposal of products at their end-of-life. These laws and regulations include requirements to develop less hazardous chemical substances and products, right-to-know, restriction of hazardous substances, and product take-back laws.
We are evaluating, cleaning-up, or conducting corrective action at a limited number of sites. We do not expect that these matters or other expenses or liabilities we may incur in connection with any noncompliance with environmental laws, regulations, or the clean-up of any additional properties, will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, cash flows, or competitive position.
We continue to monitor and review developing sustainability frameworks, standards, and global regulations and work to incorporate those most applicable to our business into our sustainability reporting.
With respect to properties and businesses that have been or will be acquired, we conduct due diligence into potential exposure to environmental liabilities but cannot be certain that we have identified, or will identify, all adverse environmental conditions. Compliance with these laws and regulations adds to the cost of our production operations. Compliance with emissions regulations adds to the cost of our products. However, we do not expect to incur material capital expenditures for environmental controls facilities during fiscal year 2024. In addition to ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, we aim to reduce our environmental footprint through our Leap Ambitions framework and seek opportunities to reduce environmental impacts on the communities where we operate.
New regulations applicable to John Deere products
California promulgated regulations prohibiting the use of small off-road spark-ignition engines under 25 horsepower. These regulations go into effect in 2024 and will impact some of our products, such as our turf care and golf course maintenance products. Even though we do not expect a material impact to our business from these regulations, to comply with new laws and regulations that limit off-road gasoline and diesel-powered engines, we intend to offer an electric option in each turf and compact utility tractor product family by 2026. However, compliance with emissions regulations has added, and will continue to add, to the cost of our products.
Government Regulations
We are subject to a wide variety of local, state, and federal laws and regulations in the countries where we operate. These laws and regulations include a range of trade, product, foreign exchange, employment, tax, environmental, safety, data privacy, antitrust, and other laws and regulations.
Compliance with these laws and regulations often requires the dedication of time and effort of our employees, as well as financial resources. In fiscal year 2023, compliance with the regulations applicable to us did not have a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position. At this time, we do not expect to incur material capital expenditures related to compliance with regulations during fiscal year 2024. Additional information about the impact of government regulations on our business is included in Item 1A, “Risk Factors - Strategic Risks” and “Legal and Compliance Risks.”
Human Capital
Higher Purpose
Our employees are guided by our higher purpose: We run so life can leap forward. Employees are further guided by our Code of Business Conduct (Code), which helps them to uphold and strengthen the standards of honor and integrity that have defined us since our founding. Our world and business may change, yet we continue to be guided by our core values- integrity, quality, commitment, and innovation.
Employees
At October 29, 2023, we had approximately 83,000 employees, including approximately 33,800 employees in the U.S. and Canada. We also retain consultants, independent contractors, temporary, and part-time workers. Unions are certified as bargaining agents for approximately 80 percent of our U.S. production and maintenance employees. Approximately 11,500 of our active U.S. production and maintenance workers are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), with an expiration date of November 1, 2027. A small number of U.S. production employees are represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). Collective bargaining agreements covering our employees in the U.S. expire between 2024 and 2027. Unions also represent the majority of employees at our manufacturing facilities outside the U.S.
There is no guarantee that we will be able to renew collective bargaining agreements or whether such agreements will be on terms satisfactory to us. For further discussion, see “Risk Factors-Disputes with labor unions may adversely affect our ability to operate in our facilities as well as impact our financial results.”
Code of Business Conduct
We are committed to conducting business in accordance with the highest ethical standards. We require all employees to complete training on our Code and, where permitted by law, also require that employees regularly certify compliance with the Code. The Code provides specific guidance to all our employees, outlining how they can and must uphold and strengthen the integrity that has defined John Deere since its founding. In addition, we maintain a global compliance hotline to allow for concerns of potential violations of the Code, global policies, or the law to be brought forward.
Health and Safety
We strive to achieve safety excellence through increased focus on leading indicators, risk reduction, health and safety management systems, and prevention. We have made progress on implementing best practices and leading indicators for enabling employee safety over recent years with our Health and Safety Management System.
We utilize a safety balanced scorecard, which includes leading and lagging indicators, and is designed to enable continuous measurement of safety performance and drive continuous improvement. Leading indicators include incident corrective action closure rates, ergonomic scorecard, and risk reduction from safety and ergonomic risk assessment projects. Lagging indicators include total recordable incident rate, ergonomic recordable case rate, and near-miss rate. Leading indicators are tracked by most of our manufacturing facilities and internally reported. In fiscal year 2023, we reported a total recordable incident rate of 2.08 and a lost time frequency rate of 0.65. To improve our total recordable incident rate, we will prioritize risk and injury reduction strategies, improve ergonomic programs, and focus on prevention through design.
We also updated our new employee onboarding in fiscal year 2023 to include training labs, hands-on-training, tooling and process exposures on the shop floor, operator checklists, and training videos of workstations.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
We adhere to the principle of equal employment opportunity and we believe that a diverse workforce is essential to our long-term success and solving our customers’ most pressing challenges. We strive to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture. We
embrace employees’ differences in race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, marital or partnership status, family status, citizenship, national origin, ancestry, geographic background, military or veteran status, disability (mental or physical), and any other characteristics that make our employees unique.
Our leadership team works to set a consistent and transparent tone on DEI issues and strategy. We also create spaces for open conversations and learning through our Employee Resources Groups (ERGs) speaker series and micro-learnings. We sponsor 13 ERGs that are run by employees, open to all employees, and are a key driver of inclusion. ERGs build organization-wide networks that allow employees to come together and discuss shared interests. The global chapters work with local teams to support efforts to attract, retain, and develop the best talent. In addition, our global DEI strategy focuses on embedding DEI into world-wide business operations and people processes.
In addition to recruiting from a wide array of colleges and universities, we partner with several professional organizations to support our diversity recruitment strategy, including AnitaB.org - a global organization for women in technology, Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences, the National Association of Black Accountants, Inc., the National Black MBA Association, Inc., the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership Institute, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Our broad recruiting strategy helps us identify talent from all backgrounds.
Compensation & Benefits
Our total rewards are intended to be competitive, meet the varied needs of our global workforce, and reinforce our values. We are committed to providing comprehensive and competitive pay and benefits to our employees. We invested, and continue to invest, in employees through growth and development and well-being initiatives.
Our work environment is designed to promote innovation, well-being, and reward performance. Our total rewards for employees include a variety of components that aim to support sustainable employment and the ability to build a strong financial future, including competitive market-based pay and comprehensive benefits. In addition to earning base pay, eligible employees are compensated for their contributions to our goals with both short-term cash incentives and long-term equity-based incentives.
Eligible full-time employees in the U.S. have access to medical, dental, and vision plans; savings and retirement plans; parental leave and paid time off; and other resources, such as the Employee Assistance Program, which provides mental health and wellness services. We also offer a variety of working arrangements to eligible employees, including flexible schedules, remote work, and job sharing to help employees manage home and work-life situations. Programs and benefits differ internationally for a variety of reasons, such as local legal requirements, market practices, and negotiations with works councils, trade unions, and other employee representative bodies.
Training and Development
Employees are critical to the long-term success of our business. We encourage employees to identify the paths that can build the skills, experience, knowledge, and competencies needed for career advancement. We support employees by creating purpose-driven work opportunities, comprehensive performance reviews and development plans, mentoring opportunities, and professional and personal development opportunities.
We encourage employees to provide feedback across the enterprise through our internal voluntary employee experience survey, ad-hoc “pulse” surveys, and new-hire and exit surveys. Reports from these surveys help equip us to address needs across the employee lifecycle to improve the overall experience and engagement of our workforce.
Around the world, we offer internships, training, upskilling, apprenticeships, and leadership development at all stages of an employee’s career. Training programs are tailored to different geographic regions and job functions and include topics such as technical operation of equipment, equipment assembly, relationships with customers and dealers, our culture and values, compliance with the Code, compliance with anti-bribery/corruption laws and policies, compliance with management of private data and cybersecurity, conflicts of interest, discrimination and workplace harassment policies, sexual harassment policies, and leadership development.
Human Rights and Our Code of Conduct
We honor human rights and respect the individual dignity of all persons globally. Our commitment to human rights requires that we understand and fulfill our responsibilities consistent with our values and practices. We strive to ensure that human rights are upheld for our employees and workers in our supply chain. Our commitment to human rights is defined in the Code, our Supplier Code of Conduct, our Dealer Code of Conduct, related policies and procedures, and our statement “Support of Human Rights in our Business Practice,” each of which is available on our website under “Governance.” These documents establish guidelines for our employees, suppliers, and dealers. We do not tolerate human rights abuses, such as forced labor, unlawful child labor, and human trafficking.
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The following are our executive officers as of December 6, 2023. All executive officers are elected or appointed by the Board of Directors and hold office until the meeting of the Board of Directors following the annual meeting of stockholders each year.
Name (Age)
Present Deere Position (Effective Date)
Business Experience (Effective Date)
John C. May (54)
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President (2020)
-
Chief Executive Officer and President (2019)
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President and Chief Operating Officer (2019)
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President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division Global Harvesting and Turf Platforms, Ag Solutions Americas, and Australia (2018)
Joshua A. Jepsen (46)
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2022)
-
Deputy Financial Officer (2022)
-
Director, Investor Relations (2018)
Ryan D. Campbell (49)
President, Worldwide Construction & Forestry Division and Power Systems (2022)
-
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2019)
-
Deputy Financial Officer (2018)
Jahmy J. Hindman (48)
Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (2023)
-
Chief Technology Officer (2020)
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Global Director Tractor Platform Engineering (2018)
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Global Manager, Architecture, Systems, Modules (2018)
Mary K.W. Jones (55)
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Worldwide Public Affairs (2019)
-
Senior Vice President and General Counsel (2013)
Rajesh Kalathur (55)
President, John Deere Financial, and Chief Information Officer (2022)
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President, John Deere Financial and Senior Vice President, Global Information Technology and Chief Financial Officer (2022)
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President, John Deere Financial, and Chief Information Officer (2019)
-
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Information Officer (2018)
Deanna M. Kovar (45)
President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division, Small Ag & Turf, Sales and Marketing Regions of Europe, CIS, Asia, and Africa (2023)
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Vice President, Production Systems, Production & Precision Ag (2023)
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Vice President, Production Systems (2020)
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Director, Operation Station (2018)
Felecia J. Pryor (49)
Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer (2022)
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Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, BorgWarner Inc (2022)
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Global Vice President Human Resources, BorgWarner, Inc. - Morse Systems (2019)
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Vice President Human Resources ASEAN, Ford Motor Company (2016)
Cory J. Reed (53)
President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division, Production & Precision Ag, Sales and Marketing Regions of the Americas and Australia (2020)
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President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division, Americas and Australia, Global Harvesting and Turf Platforms, Agricultural Solutions (2019)
-
President, John Deere Financial (2016)
Justin R. Rose (44)
President, Lifecycle Solutions, Supply Management, and Customer Success (2022)
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Senior Partner and Managing Director at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) (2020)
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Various roles of increasing responsibility from Associate to Partner and Managing Director at BCG (2002)

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS.
The following risks are considered material to our business based upon current knowledge, information, and assumptions. This discussion of risk factors should be considered closely in conjunction with the MD&A, including the risks and uncertainties described in the Forward-Looking Statements, and the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. These risk factors and other forward-looking statements relate to future events, expectations, trends, and operating periods. They involve certain factors that are subject to change and important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties could affect particular lines of business, while others could affect all our businesses. Although the risks are organized by headings and each risk is discussed separately, many are interrelated. The risks described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Forward-Looking Statements in this report are not the only risks faced by us.
STRATEGIC RISKS
We may face risks associated with international, national, and regional trade laws, regulations, and policies, and government farm programs and policies which could significantly impair our profitability and growth prospects.
International, national, and regional laws, regulations, and policies directly or indirectly related to or restricting the import and export of our products, services, and technology, or those of our customers, or for the benefit of favored industries or sectors, could harm our global business. We are subject to various regulatory risks including, but not limited to, the following:
● Restricted access to global markets could impair our ability to export goods and services from various manufacturing locations around the world. Restricted access could limit the ability to access raw materials and high-quality parts and components at competitive prices on a timely basis. For example, expanding export controls or limits on foreign investment can impact global supply of key materials and components, and actions taken within the US-China trade conflict can impact business in China, as well as sales, import/exports, and/or business engagement with Chinese entities globally.
● Trade restrictions, negotiation of new trade agreements, non-tariff trade barriers, local content requirements, and imposition of new or retaliatory tariffs against certain countries or covering certain products, including developments in U.S.-China trade relations, export control and sanctions against Russia, have limited, and could continue to limit, our ability to capitalize on current and future growth opportunities in international markets. These trade restrictions, and changes in, or uncertainty surrounding global trade policies, may affect our competitive position.
● Trade restrictions could impede those in developing countries from achieving a higher standard of living, which could negatively impact our future growth opportunities arising from increasing global demand for food, fuel, and infrastructure.
● Policies impacting exchange rates and commodity prices, or those limiting the export or import of commodities, could have a material adverse effect on the international flow of agricultural and other commodities that may result in a corresponding negative effect on the demand for agricultural and forestry equipment in many areas of the world. Our agricultural equipment sales could be harmed by such policies because farm income influences sales of agricultural equipment around the world.
● Changes in government farm programs and policies can influence demand for agricultural equipment as well as create unequal competition for multinational companies relative to domestic companies.
We may be unable to manage increasing political, economic, and social uncertainty in certain regions of the world, which could significantly change the dynamics of our competition, customer base, and product offerings globally.
Efforts to grow our businesses depend in part upon access and developing market share and profitability in additional geographic markets, including, but not limited to, Argentina, Brazil, China, India, and South Africa. There are various risks associated with our global footprint, including, but not limited to, the following:
● In some cases, these countries have greater political and economic volatility, greater vulnerability to infrastructure and labor disruptions, and differing customer product preferences and requirements than our other markets. In fiscal year 2023, as a result of the war in Ukraine, we suspended shipments of machines and service parts to Russia. The suspension of shipments to Russia reduced actual and forecasted revenue for the region and resulted in impairments of most long-lived assets, among other impacts. In addition, we initiated a voluntary separation program for employees in Russia in the third quarter of fiscal year 2022.
● Having business operations in various regions and countries exposes us to multiple and potentially conflicting business practices and legal and regulatory requirements that are subject to change. These practices and legal requirements are often complex and difficult to navigate, including those related to tariffs and trade regulations, investments, property ownership rights, taxation, repatriation of earnings, and advanced technologies.
● Expanding business operations globally also increases exposure to currency fluctuations, which can materially affect our financial results.
● While we maintain a positive corporate image and our brands are widely recognized and valued in our traditional markets, the brands are less known in some emerging markets, which could impede our efforts to successfully compete in these markets.
● Changing U.S. export controls and sanctions on various foreign countries and on various parties could affect our ability to collect receivables, provide aftermarket warranty support for our equipment, sell products, and otherwise impact our reputation and business.
We may be impacted by general negative economic conditions and outlook, causing weakened demand for our equipment and services, limiting access to funding, and resulting in higher funding costs.
The demand for our products and services depends on the fundamentals in the markets in which we operate and can be significantly reduced in an economic environment characterized by high unemployment, high interest rates, cautious consumer spending, inflation, lower corporate earnings, and lower business investment. Negative or uncertain economic conditions that cause our customers to lack confidence in the general economic outlook can significantly reduce their likelihood of purchasing our equipment. These economic events adversely affected and may continue to adversely affect our operations.
Sustained general negative economic conditions and outlook also affect housing starts, energy prices and demand, and other construction, which dampens demand for certain construction equipment. Our turf operations and our construction and forestry segments are dependent on construction activity and have also been affected by recent adverse economic conditions. Decreases in construction activity and housing starts could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
If negative economic conditions affect the overall farm economy, there could be a similar effect on our agricultural equipment sales. Uncertain or negative outlook with respect to pervasive U.S. fiscal issues as well as general economic conditions and outlook, such as market volatility and continuing interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve, have caused and could continue to cause significant changes in market liquidity conditions. Such changes could impact access to funding and associated funding costs, which could reduce our earnings and cash flows.
We may be affected by changing worldwide demand for food and different forms of renewable energy, which could impact the price of farm commodities and consequently the demand for our equipment. This could result in higher research and development costs related to changing machine fuel requirements.
Changing worldwide demand for farm outputs to meet the world’s growing food and renewable energy demands, driven in part by government policies, including those related to climate change, and a growing world population, are likely to result in fluctuating agricultural commodity prices, which directly affect sales of agricultural equipment. Lower agricultural commodity prices directly affect farm incomes, which could negatively affect sales of agricultural equipment and result in higher credit losses. While higher commodity prices benefit our crop-producing agricultural equipment customers, they could result in greater feed costs for livestock and poultry producers, which in turn may result in lower levels of equipment purchased by these customers. In addition, changing energy renewable demands may cause farmers to change the types or quantities of the crops they raise, with corresponding changes in equipment demands. Finally, changes in governmental policies regulating bio-fuel utilization could affect commodity demand and commodity prices, demand for our diesel-fueled equipment, and result in higher research and development costs related to equipment fuel standards.
We may not realize the anticipated benefits of our Smart Industrial Operating Model and Leap Ambitions.
Failure to realize the anticipated benefits of our Smart Industrial Operating Model and related business strategies in production systems, precision technologies, and aftermarket support could adversely affect results of our operations and financial condition. Several factors could impact our ability to successfully execute our Smart Industrial Operating Model, including, among other things:
● Failure to accurately assess market opportunities and the technology required to address such opportunities;
● Failure to develop and introduce new technologies or lack of adoption of such technologies by our customers;
● Failure to holistically provide lifecycle solutions; and
● Failure to optimize our capital allocation in connection with the Smart Industrial Operating Model.
Similarly, we may not realize the anticipated benefits of our Leap Ambitions and related goals within the expected timelines, or at all. As part of our Leap Ambitions we adopted various goals we expect to achieve by 2026 or 2030. We may not be able to achieve these goals for a variety reasons, some of which may be beyond our control. Examples include:
● Our estimates and assumptions related to efficiency of our products and the adoption of precision technology may not be accurate;
● Certain materials, such as quality battery cells and cameras, may become unavailable or too costly;
● The infrastructure required to achieve our goals, such as sufficient charging stations or fuel availability, may become too costly or may not be developed on the expected timeline; and
● The actual or perceived failure to achieve our Leap Ambitions could negatively impact our ability to execute the Smart Industrial Operating Model.
We may not realize all anticipated benefits of acquisitions, joint ventures, and divestitures, or these benefits may take longer to realize than expected.
From time to time, we make strategic acquisitions and divestitures and participate in joint ventures. Acquisitions and joint ventures we have entered, or may enter in the future, may involve significant challenges and risks, including that the acquisitions or joint ventures do not advance our business strategy, or fail to produce satisfactory returns on investment. Other risks include:
● We may encounter difficulties in integrating acquisitions with our operations, applying internal control processes to these acquisitions, managing strategic investments, assimilating new capabilities to meet the future needs of our businesses, and/or combining business cultures;
● We may choose not to fully integrate businesses and may face regulatory or compliance exposure until appropriate processes and controls are put in place;
● Integrating acquisitions is often costly and may require significant attention from management and personnel;
● We may not realize all the anticipated benefits of acquisitions or joint ventures, or the realized benefits may be significantly delayed; and
● Due diligence evaluations of potential transactions include business, legal, and financial reviews with the goal of identifying and evaluating the material risks involved. These due diligence reviews may not identify all of the issues necessary to accurately estimate the cost and potential risks of a particular acquisition or joint venture, including potential exposure to regulatory sanctions resulting from an acquisition target’s or joint venture partner’s previous activities or costs associated with any quality issues with an acquisition target’s or joint venture’s products or services.
We may also decide to divest businesses if in the best interests of our shareholders and joint ventures may be terminated at or before their stated expiration. For example, in March and October 2023, we sold our financial services and roadbuilding businesses in Russia following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Divestitures of businesses or dissolutions of joint ventures may involve significant challenges and risks, including failure to advance our business strategy, costs or disruptions to us, and negative effects on our product offerings, which may adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Divestitures of businesses and dissolutions of joint ventures may result in ongoing financial or legal involvement in the divested business through indemnifications or other financial arrangements, such as retained liabilities, which could affect our future financial results.
Our ability to understand our customers’ preferences and requirements and to develop, manufacture, and market products that meet customer demand could significantly affect our business results.
Our ability to match new product offerings to global customers’ preferences for different types and sizes of equipment and various equipment features and functionality, at affordable prices, is critical to our success. This requires a thorough understanding of our existing and potential customers on a global basis, particularly in growth markets such as Argentina, Brazil, and India. Failure to deliver quality products that meet customer needs at competitive prices could have an adverse effect on our business.
In addition, customer preferences in the markets we serve are changing as a result of ongoing social and regulatory focus on sustainability as these markets transition to less carbon-intensive business models. As regulations and social pressure drive change, we must continue to proactively monitor trends and develop alternatives and enhancements that elevate and complement our product offerings. For example, even though we plan to offer electric, hybrid-electric, and battery electric equipment solutions, we may be unable to keep up with the rising demand for electric agriculture, turf, and construction equipment.
The development of alternative farming techniques, carbon sequestration technologies, and new low-carbon biofuels are changing farmers’ business models and equipment needs. If we fail to continue to develop or invest in emerging technologies to meet changing customer demands, we will be at risk of losing potential sources of revenue, which could affect our future financial results.
If we are unable to deliver precision technology and agricultural solutions to our customers, it could affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our approach to precision technology involves hardware and software, guidance, connectivity and digital solutions, automation and machine intelligence, and autonomy. Customers continue to adopt technology integrated in our portfolio of “smart” machines, systems, and solutions. We expect this trend to persist for the foreseeable future. To create and maintain a competitive differentiation, we need to successfully develop and introduce new precision technology solutions that improve profitability and sustainability for our customers. We may make significant investments in research and development, connectivity solutions, digital security for precision technology solutions, and dealer and employee training. These investments may not produce solutions that provide the desired results for customers’ profitability or sustainability outcomes. We utilize automation and machine learning and intelligence in some of our products. While the use of these emerging technologies can present significant benefits, it also creates risks and challenges. Data sourcing, technology, integration and process issues, program bias into decision-making algorithms, security problems, and the protection of privacy could impair the adoption and acceptance of autonomous machine solutions. If the output from these solutions is deemed to be inaccurate or questionable, our brand and reputation may be harmed and we may be subject to legal liability claims. Automation and machine learning and intelligence may also become the subject of local, state, federal, and foreign regulatory efforts limiting the features and capabilities of the technology. If we are not able to deliver precision technology solutions with differentiated features and functionality, or these solutions are not effective, customers may not adopt technology solutions, which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and business.
We could be impacted by changes to or reallocation of radio frequency (RF) bands which could disrupt or degrade the reliability of our high precision augmented Global Positioning System (GPS) or other RF technology, which could impair our ability to develop and market GPS- and RF-based technology solutions, as well as significantly reduce agricultural and construction customers’ profitability.
Our current and planned integrated agricultural business and equipment management systems, as well as our fleet management telematics solutions for construction equipment, depend upon the use of RF signals. These signals include, but are not limited to, GPS signals, other GPS-like satellite signals, augmented GPS services, and other RF technologies that link equipment, operations, owners, dealers, and technicians. These radio services depend on frequency allocations governed by international and national government agencies. Any international or national reallocation of frequency bands, including frequency bands segmentation and band spectrum sharing, or other modifications concerning the regulation of frequency bands, could significantly disrupt or degrade the utility and reliability of our GPS-based products, which could negatively affect our ability to develop and market GPS-based technology solutions.
In addition, disruptions with GPS signals or the failure of telecommunications network operators to supply the bandwidth we need to support our products could interfere with the speed, availability, and usability of our equipment and services. If these GPS signals or RF signals become unavailable, our customers could be unable to use their equipment indefinitely. For our agricultural customers, this could result in lower crop yields, decreased operational efficiency, and higher equipment maintenance, seed, fertilizer, fuel, and wage costs. For construction customers, this could result in higher fuel and equipment maintenance costs, as well as lower construction design and project management efficiencies. These cost increases could significantly reduce customers’ profitability, sustainability, and demand for our products. As a result, our sales and revenue could significantly decrease, which would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and our business.
Our ability to adapt in highly competitive markets could affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We compete in a variety of highly competitive global and regional markets with other manufacturers and distributors that produce and sell similar products. In addition, our industry is attracting non-traditional competitors, including technology-focused companies and start-up ventures. We compete on product performance, innovation and quality, distribution, sustainability, customer service, and price. Aggressive pricing or other strategies of competitors, unanticipated product or manufacturing delays, or our failure to price products competitively could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We rely on a network of independent dealers to manage the distribution of our products and services. If dealers are unsuccessful with their sales and business operations, it could have an adverse effect on our overall sales and revenue.
We rely on the capability of our dealers to develop and implement effective sales plans to create demand among purchasers for the equipment and related products and services that dealers purchase from us. If our dealers are unsuccessful in these endeavors, we will be unable to grow our sales and revenue, which would have an adverse effect on our financial condition.
In addition, the dealer channel’s ability to support and service precision technology solutions and emerging power solutions may affect customers’ acceptance and adoption rates of these products. The unavailability of specialized technicians to service our equipment may result in overburdening dealers’ servicing capacity.
Dealers may have trouble funding their day-to-day cash flow needs and paying their obligations due to adverse business conditions resulting from negative economic effects or other factors. Dealers may exit or we may seek to terminate relationships with certain dealers if they are unable to meet customer needs. The unplanned loss of any of our dealers could lead to inadequate market coverage, negative customer impressions, and may adversely impact our ability to collect receivables that are associated with that dealer.
ENVIRONMENTAL, CLIMATE, AND WEATHER RISKS
Unfavorable weather conditions or natural catastrophes that reduce agricultural production and demand for agriculture and turf equipment could directly and indirectly affect our business.
The purchasing decisions of our customers, particularly the purchasers of agriculture and turf equipment, can be significantly affected by poor or unusual weather conditions. Such conditions include:
● Insufficient levels of rain, which prevent farmers from planting new crops and may cause growing crops to die or result in lower yields;
● Excessive rain or flooding can prevent planting from occurring at optimal times and may cause crop loss through increased disease or mold growth;
● Temperatures outside normal ranges, which can cause crop failure or decreased yields and may also affect disease incidence;
● Natural disasters such as regional floods, hurricanes or other storms, droughts, diseases, wildfires, and pests, either as a physical effect of climate change or otherwise, which have had, and could in the future have, significant negative effects on agricultural and livestock production;
● Adverse weather conditions in a particular geographic region, particularly during the important spring selling season; and
● Drought conditions can adversely affect sales of certain mowing equipment and can similarly cause lower sales volume.
Each of these conditions could have a negative impact on farm income which can affect demand for agricultural equipment and the financial condition and credit risk of our dealers and customers.
Governmental actions designed to address climate change based on the emergence of new technologies and business models in connection with the transition to a lower-carbon economy could adversely affect John Deere and our customers.
There is global scientific consensus that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continue to alter the composition of Earth’s atmosphere in ways that are affecting and are expected to continue to affect the global climate. These considerations have led to new international, national, regional, and local legislative and regulatory responses. Various stakeholders, including legislators and regulators, shareholders, and non-governmental organizations, as well as companies in many business sectors, including us, are continuing to look for ways to reduce GHG emissions. The regulation of GHG emissions from certain stationary or mobile sources or the imposition of carbon pricing mechanisms could result in additional costs to us in the form of taxes or emission allowances, required facilities improvements, and increased energy costs. These results would increase our operating costs through higher utility, transportation, and materials cost and could prevent us from selling products into certain markets. Increased input costs, such as fuel and fertilizer, and compliance-related costs could also affect customer operations and demand for our equipment.
Further, our financial services segment is subject to additional international and national European regulations relating to climate and environmental risk, which are continually evolving and could affect the financing operations and climate-risk processes developed by the segment. Regulators in Europe and the U.S. have also focused efforts on increased disclosure related to climate change and mitigation efforts. The EU recently adopted the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) that will impose disclosure of the risks and opportunities arising from social and environmental issues, and on the impact of companies’ activities on people and the environment. The CSRD will need to be transposed into Member State law before it becomes effective, which is expected to occur in 2024. Similarly, the State of California recently passed the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act and the Climate-Related Financial Risk Act that will impose broad climate-related disclosure obligations on certain companies doing business in California, including us, starting in 2026. The SEC has included in its regulatory agenda potential rulemaking on climate change disclosures that, if adopted, could significantly increase compliance burdens and associated regulatory costs and complexity.
Increasingly stringent engine emission regulations or bans on internal combustion engines may impact our ability to manufacture and distribute certain engines or equipment, which could negatively affect business results.
Our equipment operations must meet increasingly stringent engine emission reduction regulations throughout the world, including the European Union’s Stage V standard, which limits the amount of certain substances in exhaust gases that off-road engines can emit into the environment. Governmental agencies throughout the world are enacting more stringent laws and regulations to reduce off-road engine emissions. These laws and regulations are applicable to engines we manufacture, including those used in agriculture and CF equipment.
We have incurred, and continue to incur, substantial research and development costs related to the implementation of these more rigorous laws and regulations. While we have developed and are executing comprehensive plans to meet these requirements, these plans are subject to variables that could delay or otherwise affect our ability to manufacture and distribute certain equipment or engines, which could negatively impact business results. Additionally, in certain locations governments have banned, or may in the future ban, internal combustion engines for some types of products completely. To the extent these bans affect products manufactured and sold by us, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be negatively affected.
FINANCIAL RISKS
Changes in government banking, monetary, and fiscal policies could have a negative effect on us.
Policies of the U.S. and other governments regarding banking, monetary, and fiscal policies intended to promote or maintain liquidity, stabilize financial markets, and/or address local deficit or structural economic issues could have a material impact on our customers and markets. Central bank policy interest rates continued to increase in fiscal year 2023. Most of our retail receivables are fixed rate, while wholesale financing receivables are variable rate. We have both fixed and variable rate borrowings. Historically, rising interest rates impact our borrowings sooner than the benefit is realized from the financing receivable and equipment on operating lease portfolios.
Our operations and results could also be affected by financial regulatory reform that could, among other things, have an adverse effect on the financial services segment and on our customers by limiting their ability to enter hedging transactions or to finance purchases of our products. Government policies on spending can also affect us, especially the CF segment, due to the impact of government spending on infrastructure development. Our operations, including those outside of the U.S., may also be affected by non-U.S. regulatory reforms being implemented to further regulate non-U.S. financial institutions and markets.
Changes in tax rates, tax legislation, or exposure to additional tax liabilities could have a negative effect on our business.
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Our domestic and international tax liabilities are dependent upon the location of earnings among these different jurisdictions. Tax rates in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant change. Our effective tax rates could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws or their interpretations. If our effective tax rates were to increase, or if the ultimate determination of taxes owed is for an amount more than amounts previously accrued, our operating results, cash flows, and financial condition could be adversely affected.
Our consolidated financial results are reported in U.S. dollars while certain assets and other reported items are denominated in foreign currencies, creating currency exchange and translation risk.
We are a global company with transactions denominated in a variety of currencies. We are subject to currency exchange risk to the extent that our costs are denominated in currencies other than those in which we earn our revenues.
Additionally, the reporting currency for our consolidated financial statements is the U.S. dollar. Certain of our assets, liabilities, expenses, and revenues are denominated in other countries’ currencies, which are then translated into U.S. dollars at the applicable exchange rates and reported in our consolidated financial statements. Therefore, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates affect the value of those items as reflected in our consolidated financial statements, even if their value remains unchanged in the original currencies. While the use of currency hedging instruments may provide us with some protection from adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates, by utilizing these instruments we potentially forego any benefits that may result from favorable fluctuations in such rates. In Argentina, we have employed mechanisms to convert Argentine pesos into U.S. dollars to the extent possible. These mechanisms are short-term in nature, leaving us exposed to long-term currency fluctuations.
Changes in interest rates or market liquidity conditions could adversely affect our financials and our earnings and/or cash flows.
Central bank policy interest rates continued to increase in fiscal year 2023. Rising interest rates could have a dampening effect on overall economic activity and/or the financial condition of our customers, either or both of which could negatively affect customer demand for our equipment and customers’ ability to repay their obligations to us. Rising interest rates may cause credit market
dislocations, that can impact funding costs, which can affect the financial services segment’s ability to offer customers competitive financing rates. While we strive to match the interest rate characteristics of our financial assets and liabilities, changing interest rates have had an adverse effect on our net interest rate margin-the difference between the yield we earn on our assets and the interest rates we pay for funding, which has affected our net interest income and earnings.
In addition, actions by credit rating agencies, such as downgrades or negative changes to ratings outlooks, can affect the availability and cost of funding for us and can increase our costs of capital and hurt our competitive position.
Because the financial services segment provides financing for a significant portion of our sales worldwide, negative economic conditions in the financial industry could materially impact our operations and financial results.
Negative economic conditions could have an adverse effect on the financial industry in which the financial services segment operates. The financial services segment provides financing for a significant portion of our sales worldwide. The financial services segment is exposed to the risk that customers and others will default on contractual obligations and may experience credit losses that exceed our expectations and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. The financial services segment’s inability to access funds at cost-effective rates to support our financing activities could have a material adverse effect on our business. The financial services segment’s liquidity and ongoing profitability depend largely on timely access to capital to meet future cash flow requirements and to fund operations and costs associated with engaging in diversified funding activities. Additionally, negative market conditions could reduce customer confidence levels, resulting in declines in credit applications and increases in delinquencies and default rates, which could materially impact the financial services segment’s write-offs and provision for credit losses. The financial services segment may also experience residual value losses that exceed our expectations caused by lower pricing for used equipment and higher-than-expected equipment returns at lease maturity.
We may sustain increases in funding obligations under our pension plans which may impair our liquidity or financial condition.
We maintain certain defined benefit pension plans for certain employees, which impose funding obligations. We use various assumptions in calculating our future payment obligations under these plans. Significant adverse changes in credit or market conditions could result in actual rates of return on pension investments being lower than expected. Regulatory changes could cause a deterioration in the statutory funded status of our plans. We may be required to make significant contributions to our pension plans in the future. These factors could significantly increase our payment obligations under the plans and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
MANUFACTURING AND OPERATIONAL RISKS
We may be unable to accurately forecast customer demand for products and services, and to adequately manage inventory, which could adversely affect our operating results.
To ensure adequate inventory supply, we must forecast inventory needs and expenses and place orders sufficiently in advance with suppliers and contract manufacturers. These forecasts are based on estimates of future demand for products and services. Failure to accurately forecast our needs may result in unmet market demand, parts shortages, manufacturing delays, increased costs, or excess inventory. In fiscal year 2022, supply chain disruptions resulted in higher inventory levels. Although production schedules in fiscal year 2023 were more aligned with the customers’ seasonal use of our products, marking a return to historical seasonal production patterns, our ability to accurately forecast demand in the future could be affected by many factors, including changes in customer demand for our products and services, changes in demand for the products and services of competitors, unanticipated changes in general market conditions, and the weakening of economic conditions or customer confidence in future economic conditions. If the forecasts used to manage inventory are not accurate, we may experience excess inventory levels, shortage of available products, or reduced manufacturing efficiencies.
Changes in the availability and price of certain raw materials, components, and whole goods have resulted and could continue to result in disruptions to the supply chain causing production disruptions, increased costs, and lower profits on sales of our products.
We require access to various raw materials, components, and whole goods at competitive prices to manufacture and distribute our products. The price and availability of these materials have varied significantly in the last 36 months. For example, in fiscal year 2022, supply chain disruptions impacted many aspects of our business, including receiving past due deliveries from suppliers, parts availability, increased production costs, and higher inventory levels. We experienced supply chain improvements in fiscal year 2023 with a return to normal in the second half of the fiscal year.
While we have seen stabilization in the supply chain and some commodity pricing improvements, we anticipate potential fluctuations due to inflation, geopolitical and economic uncertainty, and regulatory and policy instability, including import tariffs and trade agreements. The latter have the potential to significantly increase production and logistics costs and have a material negative effect on the profitability of the business, particularly if we are unable to recover the increased costs due to market considerations or other
factors. We have experienced changes in the availability and prices of these raw materials, components, whole goods, and freight over the past several years, especially in fiscal years 2021 and 2022.Global logistics network challenges resulted in delays, shortages of key manufacturing components, increased order backlogs, increased transportation costs, and production inefficiencies from a higher number of partially completed machines in inventory, which increased our overall production and overhead costs. Increases in such costs have had an adverse effect on our business operations.
We rely on our suppliers to acquire the raw materials, components, and whole goods required to manufacture their products. Significant disruptions to the supply chain resulting from shortages of raw materials, components, and whole goods have and could continue to adversely affect our ability to meet commitments to our customers. In addition, certain materials and components used in our products are acquired from a single supplier or are proprietary in nature and cannot be alternatively sourced expeditiously. Furthermore, if our customers are unwilling to accept price increases for our products, or if we are unable to offset the increases in costs, raw material costs or shortages could have a material adverse effect on our operational or financial results.
Disputes with labor unions may adversely affect our ability to operate in our facilities as well as impact our financial results.
Many of our production and maintenance employees are represented by labor unions under various collective bargaining agreements with different expiration dates. Our failure to successfully renegotiate labor agreements as they expire has from time to time led, and could in the future lead, to work stoppages or other disputes with labor unions. For example, the UAW initiated a labor strike that had an adverse effect on our results of operations in fiscal 2022 because of reduced productions and shipments. Certain of our labor agreements expire as early as 2024. Disruptions to our manufacturing and parts-distribution facilities through various forms of labor disputes could adversely affect us. Any strike, work stoppage, or other dispute with a labor union distracts management from operating the business, may displace employees from ordinary job positions to fill in vacant positions, may affect our reputation, and could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our business may suffer if our equipment fails to perform as expected.
If our equipment does not perform as expected, we may receive warranty claims and have to perform post-sales repairs or recalls. We may also be subject to regulatory requirements and penalties that will impact our ability to develop, market, and sell equipment. This may result in product delivery delays. It could also lead to product liability, breach of warranty, and consumer protection claims. These claims and warranty expenses could be significant. As a manufacturer of equipment, we must manage the cost and risk associated with product warranties, post-sale repairs and recalls, regulatory penalties, and product liability, breach of warranty, and consumer protection claims with respect to our products. In addition to post-sale repairs or recalls initiated by us for various reasons, investigations into our products by government regulators may compel us to initiate product recalls or may result in negative public perceptions about the safety of our products, even if we disagree with the regulator’s determination. Such post-sale repairs or recalls, whether voluntary or involuntary, could result in significant expense, supply chain complications, and may harm our brand, business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results.
RESOURCES RISKS
Our ability to attract, develop, engage, and retain qualified employees could affect our ability to execute our strategy.
Our continued success depends, in part, on our ability to identify and attract qualified candidates with the requisite education, background, and experience as well as our ability to develop, engage, and retain qualified employees. Failure to attract, develop, engage, and retain qualified employees, whether as a result of an insufficient number of qualified applicants, difficulty in recruiting new employees, or inadequate resources to train, integrate, and retain qualified employees, could impair our ability to execute our business strategy and could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, while we strive to reduce the impact of the departure of employees, our operations or ability to execute our business strategy and meet our business objectives may be affected by the loss of employees, particularly when departures involve larger numbers of employees, such as those we could experience if a surge occurs in the number of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs. Higher rates of employee separations may adversely affect us through decreased employee morale, the loss of knowledge of departing employees, and the devotion of resources to recruiting and onboarding new employees.
Security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology infrastructure could interfere with our operations and could compromise our information as well as information of our employees, customers, suppliers, and/or dealers, exposing us to liability that could cause our business and reputation to suffer.
In the ordinary course of business, we rely upon information technology networks and systems, some of which are managed by third parties, to process, transmit, and store electronic information and to manage or support a variety of business processes and activities, including supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, invoicing, and collection of payments from dealers and other purchasers of our equipment and from customers of the financial services segment. We use information technology systems to record, process, and
summarize financial information and results of operations for internal reporting purposes and to comply with regulatory financial reporting, legal, and tax requirements.
Additionally, we collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, proprietary business information, and the proprietary business information of our customers, suppliers, and dealers, as well as personally identifiable information of our customers and employees in data centers which are often owned by third parties and on information technology networks. The secure operation of these information technology networks and the processing and maintenance of this information is critical to our business operations and strategy.
Despite security measures, including a vulnerability disclosure program, and business continuity plans, our information technology networks and infrastructure have been and may be vulnerable to intrusion, damage, disruptions, or shutdowns due to attacks by cyber criminals, employees’, suppliers’, or dealers’ error or malfeasance, supply chain compromise, disruptions during the process of upgrading or replacing computer software or hardware, power outages, computer viruses, ransomware or other malware, telecommunication or utility failures, terrorist acts, natural disasters, or other events. Although we have not suffered any significant cyber incidents that resulted in material business impact, we have from time to time been the target of malicious cyber threat actors. The occurrence of any significant event could compromise our networks, and the information stored there could be accessed, obtained, publicly disclosed, lost, altered, misused, or stolen. Any such access, disclosure, alteration, misuse, or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, government investigations, liability or regulatory penalties, disruption or shut down of our operations, and damage to our reputation, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Furthermore, as security threats continue to evolve and increase in frequency and sophistication, we may need to invest additional resources to protect information security.
Any unauthorized control or manipulation of our products’ systems could result in loss of confidence in us and our products.
Some of our products include connectivity hardware and software typically used for remote system updates. While we have implemented security measures intended to protect against unauthorized remote access to these products, malicious threat actors have attempted, and may attempt in the future, to gain unauthorized access to such products in order to gain control of the products, change the products’ functionality, user interface, or performance characteristics, interfere with the products’ operations, or gain access to data stored in or generated by the products or to systems to which they connect. In addition, reports of unauthorized access to our products, systems, and data, regardless of their reliability, may result in the perception that the products, systems, or data are vulnerable to malicious or unauthorized modifications. Any unauthorized access to or control of our products or systems, any loss of data, or any perception that products, systems, or data are vulnerable could result in legal claims or proceedings against us, government investigations, liability, or regulatory penalties, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our business could be adversely affected by the infringement or loss of intellectual property rights.
We protect our intellectual property with a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secret laws, and legal agreements. We heavily rely on certain trademarks to protect our identity and customer recognition of our products and services, including, but not limited to, the “John Deere” mark, the leaping deer logo, the “Nothing Runs Like a Deere” slogan, and the green and yellow color combination. These trademarks, as well as the many patents that protect innovations used in our products, are integral to our business, and their loss could have a material adverse effect on us.
Additionally, third parties may initiate legal proceedings to challenge the validity of our intellectual property or allege that we infringe on their intellectual property. We may incur substantial costs if third parties initiate such legal proceedings, or if we initiate legal proceedings to protect or enforce our intellectual property. If the outcome of any such legal proceedings is unfavorable to us, our business could be adversely affected.
LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE RISKS
Our global operations are subject to complex and changing laws and regulations, the violation of which could expose us to potential liabilities, increased costs, and other adverse effects.
We are subject to numerous international, federal, state, and local laws and regulations, many of which are complex, frequently changing, and subject to varying interpretations. These laws and regulations cover a variety of subjects, including advertising, anti-money laundering, antitrust, consumer finance, environmental, climate-related, health and safety, foreign exchange controls and cash repatriation restrictions, foreign ownership and investment, import/export and trade, human rights, labor and employment, product liability reporting, cybersecurity, data privacy, telematics, and connectivity.
These laws may vary substantially within the different markets in which we operate. Compliance with these laws and regulations is expensive and may further increase the cost of conducting our global operations. In addition, we must comply with the U.S. Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act and all applicable foreign anti-corruption laws, including the U.K. Bribery Act. These laws generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments or providing anything of value to improperly influence government officials or private individuals for the purpose of obtaining or retaining a business advantage, regardless of whether those practices are culturally expected in a particular jurisdiction. Although we have a compliance program in place designed to reduce the likelihood of potential violations of these laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that our employees, contractors, or agents will not violate such laws and regulations or our policies and procedures. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in criminal or civil sanctions and have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Changes to existing laws and regulations, or changes to how they are interpreted, or the implementation of new, more stringent laws or regulations, could adversely affect our business by increasing compliance costs, limiting our ability to offer a product or service, requiring changes to our business practices, or otherwise making our products and services less attractive to customers. Legislative and regulatory changes, and other actions that could potentially affect our business may be announced with little or no advance notice and we may not be able to effectively mitigate all adverse effects from such measures.
We are subject to governmental laws, regulations, and other legal obligations related to privacy and data protection. Any inability or perceived inability of addressing these requirements could adversely affect our business.
The legislative and regulatory framework for privacy and data protection issues worldwide is rapidly evolving and is likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. We collect personal information and other data as integral parts of our business processes and activities. This data is subject to a variety of U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including oversight by various regulatory and other governmental bodies. Many foreign countries and governmental bodies, including the EU, China, Canada, and other relevant jurisdictions where we conduct business, have laws and regulations concerning the collection and use of personal information and other data obtained from their residents or by businesses operating within their jurisdictions. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act, and the China Personal Information Protection Law, among others, impose stringent data protection requirements and provide significant penalties for noncompliance. New privacy laws will continue to come into effect around the world in the future. Any inability or perceived inability to adequately address privacy and data protection concerns (even if unfounded), or comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, industry standards, contractual obligations, or other legal obligations (including at newly acquired companies) could result in additional cost and liability to us, damage our reputation, inhibit sales, and otherwise adversely affect our business.
Legal proceedings and disputes in which we are, and may in the future be, involved could harm our business, financial condition, reputation, and brand.
We routinely are a party to claims and legal actions incidental to our business. These include claims for personal injury or property by users of our equipment, environmental, health, and safety claims, disputes with distributors, vendors and others with respect to commercial matters, and disputes with taxing and other governmental authorities regarding the conduct of our business. The defense of lawsuits and government inquiries or investigations has resulted and may result in expenditures of significant financial resources and the diversion of management’s time and attention away from business operations.
We are currently subject to a consolidated multidistrict class action lawsuit in the Northern District of Illinois alleging that we have engaged in attempted monopolization, exclusionary conduct, and restraint of the market for repair services for John Deere brand agricultural equipment by limiting repair resources only to our authorized technicians or independent authorized John Deere dealers. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating whether we have violated laws in connection with the repair of John Deere brand agriculture equipment, as well as our information security practices and statements as they relate to the risk of unauthorized access to our computer systems, products, and services. We are fully cooperating with the FTC. We are currently unable to predict the outcome of these matters. The development and resolution of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, and financial results.
GENERAL RISKS
Our reputation and brand could be damaged by negative publicity.
Our brand has worldwide recognition and significantly contributes to the success of our business. Our reputation is critical to growing our customer base. Our brand depends on the ability to maintain a positive customer perception of the business, including the core values of integrity, quality, innovation, and commitment. Negative claims or publicity involving us, our products or services, our culture and values, our stance on environmental, social, and governance topics, customer data, or any of our key employees or suppliers, could damage our reputation and brand image, regardless of whether such claims are accurate. In addition, our stance on environmental, social, and governance topics damage to our reputation could adversely impact the ability to attract new and maintain existing customers, employees, dealers, and business relationships. For example, we have been the subject of negative media articles relating to our customers’ right to maintain and safely repair their equipment.
Additionally, negative or inaccurate postings, articles, or comments on social media and the internet about us could generate negative publicity that could damage the reputation of our brand. Further, adverse publicity about regulatory or legal action against us, or legal proceedings initiated by us, could also damage our reputation and brand image, undermine customer confidence, and reduce long-term demand for equipment, even if the regulatory or legal action is unfounded or not material to our operations. If the reputation, culture, or image of our brands are damaged, or we receive negative publicity, then our sales, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Unexpected events have increased and may in the future increase our cost of doing business or disrupt our operations.
The occurrence of one or more unexpected events, including war, acts of terrorism, epidemics and pandemics (such as the COVID pandemic), civil unrest, fires, tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and other forms of severe weather in the United States or in other countries in which we operate, or in which our suppliers are located, have adversely affected and could in the future adversely affect our operations and financial performance. Such events have caused and could cause complete or partial closure of one or more of our manufacturing facilities or distribution centers, temporary or long-term disruptions in the supply of component products from some local and international suppliers, and disruption and delay in the transport of products to dealers, end-users, and distribution centers. Existing insurance coverage may not provide protection from all the costs that may arise from such events.
The potential physical impacts of climate change on our facilities, suppliers, and customers, and therefore on our operations, are highly uncertain and will be particular to the circumstances developing in various geographic regions. These potential physical effects may adversely affect the demand for our products and the cost, production, sales, and financial performance of our operations.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
ITEM 1B.
UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.
None.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
ITEM 2.
PROPERTIES.
In the U.S. and Canada, the equipment operations own and operate 23 factory locations and lease and operate another 3 locations. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, the equipment operations own or lease and operate 45 factory locations in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Spain.
In addition, the equipment operations own or lease 12 facilities comprised of three locations supporting centralized parts distribution and nine regional parts depots and distribution centers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the equipment operations also own or lease and occupy 11 total facilities with centralized parts distribution centers in Brazil, Germany, and India and regional parts depots and distribution centers in Argentina, Australia, China, India, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. We also own or lease eight facilities for the manufacture and distribution of other brands of replacement parts.
Our manufacturing facility in Russia was shut down in 2022. Our Eurasian parts distribution center in Russia was also closed, and the leased premises were returned to the landlord in the second quarter of fiscal year 2023. Premises owned by Wirtgen in Russia operating in the roadbuilding business were sold in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023.
We own or lease 53 administrative offices and research facilities globally as well as many other smaller, miscellaneous facilities.
Overall, we own approximately 70.0 million square feet of facilities and lease approximately 13.1 million additional square feet in various locations. These properties are adequate and suitable for our business as presently conducted and are well maintained.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
ITEM 3.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
We are subject to various unresolved legal actions that arise in the normal course of business, the most prevalent of which relate to product liability (including asbestos related liability), retail credit, employment, patent, trademark, and antitrust matters. Currently we believe the reasonably possible range of losses for other unresolved legal actions would not have a material effect on our financial statements; however, the outcome of any current or future proceedings, claims, or investigations cannot be predicted with certainty. Adverse decisions in one or more of these proceedings, claims, or investigations could require us to pay substantial damages or fines, undertake service actions, initiate recall campaigns, or take other costly actions. It is therefore possible that legal judgements could give rise to expenses that are not covered, or not fully covered by our insurance programs and could affect our financial position and results.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
ITEM 4.
MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.
Not applicable.
PART II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
ITEM 5.
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.
(a) Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “DE.” We have a history of paying quarterly cash dividends. While we currently expect a cash dividend to be paid in the future, future dividend payments will depend on our earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, and other factors considered relevant by our Board of Directors. See the information concerning the number of stockholders in Note 21 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) Purchases of our common stock during the fourth quarter of 2023 were as follows:
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Maximum
Total Number of
Number of Shares
Shares Purchased
that May Yet Be
Total Number of
as Part of Publicly
Purchased under
Shares
Announced Plans
the Plans or
Purchased (2)
Average Price
or Programs (1)
Programs (1)
Period
(thousands)
Per Share
(thousands)
(millions)
Jul 31 to Aug 27
$
424.30
42.3
Aug 28 to Sept 24
2,204
410.43
2,204
39.8
Sept 25 to Oct 29
3,593
384.94
3,593
35.9
Total
6,479
6,478
(1) We have a share repurchase plan that was announced in December 2022 to purchase up to $18.0 billion of shares of our common stock. The maximum number of shares that may yet be repurchased under this plan was 35.9 million based on the closing price of our common stock on the NYSE as of the end of the fourth quarter of $361.15 per share. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, $13.0 billion of common stock remains to be repurchased under this plan.
(2) In the fourth quarter of 2023, 1 thousand shares were acquired from a plan participant at a market price of $431.68 to pay payroll taxes on the vesting of a restricted stock award.
STOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The graph compares the total shareholder returns (TSR) of Deere & Company, the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Construction Machinery & Heavy Transportation Equipment Index, the S&P 500 Industrials, and the S&P 500 Stock Index over a five-year period. It assumes $100 was invested on October 26, 2018 and that dividends were reinvested. Our stock price at October 27, 2023, was $361.15. Going forward, we intend to use the S&P 500 Industrials to replace the S&P 500 Construction Machinery & Heavy Transportation Equipment. We believe the S&P 500 Industrials provides a better benchmark to compare our cumulative total returns against the industry because it comprises those companies included in the S&P 500 that are classified as members of the GICS industrials sector, and therefore, have many characteristics similar to us, regardless of the specific types of products they offer. In contrast, the S&P’s 500 Construction Machinery & Heavy Transportation Equipment Index is made up of only four companies (Caterpillar (CAT), Cummins (CMI), Paccar (PCAR), and Wabtec (WAB)). The stock performance shown in the graph is not intended to forecast and does not necessarily indicate future price performance.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
ITEM 6.
[RESERVED]

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
ITEM 7.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
See the information under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis.”

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
ITEM 7A.
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.
We are exposed to a variety of market risks, including interest rates and currency exchange rates. We attempt to actively manage these risks. See the information under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis,” under “Financial Instrument Market Risk Information” and in Note 26 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
ITEM 8.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.
See the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto and supplementary data.

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
ITEM 9.
CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.
Not applicable.

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ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
ITEM 9A.
CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act)) were effective as of October 29, 2023, based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) of the Exchange Act.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control system was designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the preparation and fair presentation of published financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of October 29, 2023, using the criteria set forth in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that assessment, management concluded that, as of October 29, 2023, our internal control over financial reporting was effective.
Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an audit report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. That report is included herein.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
During the fourth quarter, there were no changes that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 9B.
OTHER INFORMATION.
Director and Executive Officer Trading Arrangements
None.

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
ITEM 10.
DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
The information regarding directors required by this Item 10 will be set forth in the definitive proxy statement for our 2024 annual meeting of stockholders (proxy statement) to be filed with the Commission in advance of such meeting. Information regarding executive officers is presented in Item 1 of this report under the caption "Information about our Executive Officers."
We have adopted a code of ethics that applies to our executives, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and principal accounting officer. This code of ethics and our corporate governance policies are posted on our website at http://www.deere.com/governance. We intend to satisfy disclosure requirements regarding amendments to or waivers from our code of ethics by posting such information on this website. The charters of the Audit Review, Corporate Governance, Compensation, and Finance committees of our Board of Directors are available on our website as well. This information is also available in print free of charge to any person who requests it.

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
ITEM 11.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
The information required by this Item 11 will be set forth in the proxy statement to be filed with the Commission.

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
ITEM 12.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.
The information required by this Item 12 will be set forth in the proxy statement to be filed with the Commission.

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
ITEM 13.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.
The information required by this Item 13 will be set forth in the proxy statement to be filed with the Commission.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
ITEM 14.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
Information required by this Item 14, including aggregate fees billed to us by our principal accountant, Deloitte & Touche LLP (PCAOB ID No. 34), will be set forth in the proxy statement to be filed with the Commission.
PART IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
ITEM 15.
EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
Page
(1)
Financial Statements
Statements of Consolidated Income for the years ended October 29, 2023, October 30, 2022, and October 31, 2021
Statements of Consolidated Comprehensive Income for the years ended October 29, 2023, October 30, 2022, and October 31, 2021
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of October 29, 2023 and October 30, 2022
Statements of Consolidated Cash Flows for the years ended October 29, 2023, October 30, 2022, and October 31, 2021
Statements of Changes in Consolidated Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended October 31, 2021, October 30, 2022, and October 29, 2023
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(2)
Exhibits
See the “Index to Exhibits” on pages 83 - 86 of this report
Certain instruments relating to long-term borrowings constituting less than 10 percent of registrant’s total assets are not filed as exhibits herewith pursuant to Item 601(b)4(iii)(A) of Regulation S-K. Registrant agrees to file copies of such instruments upon request of the Commission.
Financial Statement Schedules Omitted
The following schedules for the company and consolidated subsidiaries are omitted because of the absence of the conditions under which they are required: I, II, III, IV, and V.