Deere profit falls on slowed farm equipment sales

[November 25, 2015]  (Reuters) - Deere & Co, an agriculture and construction equipment maker, posted higher-than-expected quarterly earnings on Wednesday even as weak global demand for farm equipment and soft commodity prices pressured sales.

The company forecast sales to be down about 7 percent in the new fiscal year, with net income attributable to Deere at about $1.4 billion.

Net income attributable to Deere fell to $351.2 million, or $1.08 per share, in the fourth quarter ended on Oct. 31, compared with $649.2 million, or $1.83 per share, a year earlier.

Analysts on average had expected a profit of 75 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

(Reporting by Meredith Davis in Detroit; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

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