DEERE & CO (DE) 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 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 are not the only risks we face.

GEOPOLITICAL AND MACROECONOMIC RISKS

Our financial results largely depend upon the agricultural market business cycle, as well as general economic conditions and outlook. Negative conditions in the agricultural industry and general economy cause weakened demand for our equipment and services, limit access to funding, and result in higher funding costs.

Our success largely depends on the vitality of the agricultural industry. Historically, the agricultural industry has been cyclical and subject to a variety of economic and other factors; consequently, sales of agricultural equipment are also cyclical and generally reflect the economic health of the agricultural industry.

The economic health of the agricultural industry is affected by numerous factors, including farm income, international trade, farmland values, debt levels, and financing costs. In addition, farm income is influenced by commodity and protein prices, world grain stocks, acreage available and planted, crop yields, agricultural product demand, soil conditions, farm input costs, government policies and support. 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. Downturns in the agricultural industry due to these and other factors, which could vary by market, have resulted in decreases in demand for agricultural equipment, adversely affecting our business and financial performance.

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, all of which affect farmers’ income and sentiment. In fiscal year 2025, unfavorable market conditions resulted in lower sales volumes, greater reliance on sales incentives, and elevated receivable write-offs. We expect certain of these conditions to persist in fiscal year 2026. Changes in the economic environment and the agricultural market business cycle are driven by factors outside of our control, and as a result we cannot reasonably foresee when these conditions will fully subside.

Sustained general negative economic conditions and outlook could also affect construction and housing activities, and energy prices and demand, which could decrease demand for construction and turf equipment and could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

Uncertain or negative outlook with respect to pervasive U.S. fiscal issues as well as general economic conditions and outlook, such as market volatility, inflation, or interest rate changes, 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 face risks associated with international, national, and regional trade laws, regulations, and policies that could materially impair our profitability.

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 suppliers, or for the benefit of favored industries or sectors, have harmed our global business. We are subject to various trade regulatory risks including, but not limited to, the following:

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Our international operations expose us to risks and events beyond our control in countries in which we operate.

Efforts to grow our businesses depend in part upon access to and developing and maintaining market share and profitability in additional geographic markets, including, but not limited to, Argentina, Brazil, CIS, China, India, and South Africa. Particularly, we have invested significant resources to grow our operations in Brazil, and in 2024, we built a research and development center in Indaiatuba. We may not realize the benefits from our investment in Brazil or in other regions and may be unable to grow our market share for a variety of reasons. For example, some countries where we operate have greater political and economic volatility and greater infrastructure vulnerability than others. There are various risks associated with our global footprint, including, but not limited to, the following:

The occurrence of one or more of these events has, from time to time, impacted, and may in the future impact, our business in a variety of ways, including reducing demand for our products, increasing costs, limiting our ability to operate in certain jurisdictions, disrupting our ability to deliver products to customers on time and at competitive prices, subjecting us to fines, penalties, and sanctions, harming our competitive position, devaluation of assets, and impacting our financials.

Please also refer to the risk factors in the “Legal and Regulatory Compliance Risks” section below that address our legal and regulatory risks associated with our international operations.

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Changing worldwide demand for food and different forms of renewable energy can 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, is likely to result in fluctuating agricultural commodity prices, which directly affect sales of agricultural equipment. Lower agricultural commodity prices directly affect farm incomes, which 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 dairy and livestock producers, which in turn may result in lower levels of equipment purchased by those customers. International buyers can also change the source of imported agricultural products, such as corn and soy, from the U.S. to other countries, impacting the profitability of our customers and demand for our equipment.

In addition, changing energy demand may cause farmers to change the types or quantities of the crops they raise, with corresponding changes in equipment demands. The growing demand for biofuels has led to a corresponding increased demand for agriculturally based feedstocks used in their production, such as corn in the U.S. and Europe and sugar cane in Brazil. This increased demand may increase the demand for agricultural equipment to be used in the production of such crops. However, the economic feasibility of biofuels can be impacted by the price of oil. As the price of oil falls, biofuels become a less attractive alternative energy source, and as a result, there is uncertainty with respect to any benefits we may realize with respect to our investments related to renewable energy.

Furthermore, changes in governmental policies regulating fuel utilization, including biofuel, 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.

OPERATIONAL AND MANUFACTURING RISKS

Restructuring, rationalization, and relocation of manufacturing facilities may cause capacity constraints, inventory fluctuations, and other issues.

The rationalization or restructuring of our manufacturing facilities, including relocating production or closing facilities, requires significant investment and places temporary constraints on our ability to produce the quantity of products necessary to fill orders, and thereby complete sales in a timely manner.

In addition, decisions regarding the rationalization, restructuring or relocation of facilities, and any similar actions, could also subject us to additional or new tariffs, reputational risks, and other issues relating to the importation of products. In 2024, we shifted production of small-frame skid steer loaders and compact track loaders to Mexico. As a result, these products became subject to additional tariffs on imports from Mexico in 2025. Even though we are taking actions to qualify for an exemption under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to mitigate the elevated costs, there is no guarantee that we will be able to obtain such qualification.

Furthermore, our manufacturing processes are dependent on water. Increasing competition for water resources, regulatory restrictions on water, and environmental changes can lead to water scarcity. Any significant reduction in water availability could disrupt our manufacturing processes, increase our operational costs, and limit our ability to meet customer demand.

Inability to accurately forecast customer demand for products and services, and to adequately manage inventory, 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 results in unmet market demand, parts shortages, manufacturing delays or inefficiencies, increased costs, or excess inventory. Our ability to accurately forecast demand could be affected by many factors, including changes in customer demand for our products and services, used equipment inventory outstanding, changes in demand for the products and services of competitors, unanticipated changes in agricultural and general market conditions, and the weakening of economic conditions or customer confidence in future economic conditions. In 2025, elevated used inventory levels in late model-year machines impacted demand for our products in North America resulting in lower price realization and actions to reduce our inventory level. If the forecasts used to manage inventory are not accurate, we may experience excess inventory levels, shortage of available products, or reduced manufacturing efficiencies.

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Changes in the availability and price of certain raw materials, components, and whole goods have resulted and could result in disruptions to the supply chain causing production disruptions, increased costs, and lower profits from sales of our products.

Our business relies on a complex global supply chain, and any disruptions can impact our operations. We have experienced changes in the availability and prices of raw materials, components, whole goods, and freight over the past several years.

Past global logistics network challenges have 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 in the past have increased our overall production and overhead costs. Increases in such costs have adversely affected our business operations.

We anticipate fluctuations in our supply chain due to ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, and regulatory and policy instability, including import tariffs and trade agreements. For example, certain of our products, including motors, batteries, and other components, rely on rare earth minerals for their manufacturing, of which a significant majority are sourced from China. The inability to obtain export permits for rare earth minerals could have a detrimental effect on our business. These complications have the potential to significantly increase production and logistics costs, including additional research and development costs for designing alternative solutions, and therefore would have a detrimental effect on the profitability of the business. Rapid changes and growing complexity in trade policies may also affect the ability of customs brokers and logistics providers to timely process imported products, which could result in delays, higher logistics costs, and production disruptions.

The financial stability of our suppliers can also impact the continuity of our supply chain. A number of our suppliers are facing higher prices due to inflation, increased tariffs or otherwise. If one or more of our suppliers continue to encounter financial hardships, delivery setbacks, or other performance-related difficulties, we may be unable to fulfill our obligations to customers. Furthermore, if any of the raw materials critical to our manufacturing become unavailable to our suppliers, or are only accessible at significantly higher costs, including due to increased tariffs or trade restrictions, or are affected by quality problems or defects, our ability to deliver certain products on schedule or within budget could be compromised.

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. Examples of such disruptions include:

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.

Failure by our supply base to use ethical business practices and comply with applicable laws and regulations may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and operational results.

While we conduct due diligence on our suppliers and require their compliance with various policies and contractual covenants, we do not control our suppliers’ business practices. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee that our due diligence efforts will reveal that they follow ethical business practices such as fair wage practices and compliance with environmental, safety, labor, human rights, material sourcing, and other laws.

Failure to comply could lead us to seek alternative suppliers, which could increase our costs and result in delayed delivery of our products, product shortages, or other disruptions in operations. If our suppliers fail to comply with ethical standards and applicable laws, regulations, safety codes, employment practices, human rights standards, quality standards, environmental standards, production practices, or other obligations, norms, identification and reporting requirements, our reputation and brand could be harmed, and we could be exposed to litigation, investigations, enforcement actions, monetary liability and additional costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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, lack of available natural resources, acts of terrorism, epidemics and pandemics, civil unrest, fires, tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, temperatures outside of normal ranges, floods, and other forms of severe or unusual weather in 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,

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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 weather conditions or climate change on our facilities, suppliers, and customers, and therefore on our business, are uncertain and will be specific 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.

FINANCIAL RISKS

Changes in interest rates or market liquidity conditions, as well as changes in government banking, monetary and fiscal policies, could adversely affect our financials and our earnings and/or cash flows.

High interest rates can dampen overall economic activity and/or the financial condition of our customers, either or both of which can negatively affect customer demand for our equipment and our customers’ ability to repay us. High interest rates also increase the cost of carrying inventory for our dealers and the cost of financing for end customers. Interest rates in the U.S. have decreased and Brazil remained elevated in 2025. Higher rates and volatility in rates impact us in several ways, primarily affecting the demand for our products, financing spreads for the financial services operations, the value of our investments, and the financial health of our dealers. The markets for our agriculture, turf, and construction products were negatively impacted in 2025 by elevated interest rates and their effect on borrowing costs for our customers.

While we strive to match the interest rate characteristics of our financial assets and liabilities, changing interest rates have affected our financing spreads—the difference between the yield we earn on our assets and the interest rates we pay for funding—which have affected our 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.

Moreover, 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 have a material impact on our customers and markets.

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.

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 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 vulnerable to customers and others defaulting on contractual obligations, and has experienced, and may continue to experience write-offs and credit losses that, in some cases, exceed our expectations and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations as a result of elevated delinquencies. The allowance for credit losses on retail notes and financing lease receivables increased in 2025 primarily due to higher expected losses on agriculture and turf customer accounts as a result of elevated delinquencies and a decline in market conditions. We occasionally grant contractual modifications to customers experiencing financial difficulties. There is no guarantee that customers experiencing financial difficulty will be able to satisfy their obligations in accordance with original or modified terms. As a result, our allowance for credit losses may continue to increase in future periods.

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. 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.

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

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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.

STRATEGIC RISKS

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, as well as failure to have selected a business strategy that aligns with our customers’ needs and market trends, could have an adverse effect on our operational and financial results.

Several factors could impact our ability to successfully execute, and to benefit from, our Smart Industrial Operating Model, including, among other things:

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 certain financial and operational goals, which were refined in December 2025. In the future, we may again modify these goals, abandon them or be unable to achieve them for a variety of reasons, some of which may be beyond our control. Examples of such reasons include:

The introduction of new products and technologies involves risk, and, from time to time, we may fail to realize their anticipated benefits.

We design and manufacture products that incorporate advanced technologies. Many of our products and services are highly engineered and involve sophisticated technologies with related complex manufacturing and systems integration processes. We invest substantial amounts in research and development efforts to pursue advancements in a wide range of technologies, products, and services aimed at meeting the ever-evolving product, and service needs of our customers.

Our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of our investments in technology and product design depends on a variety of factors, including:

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We compete on product performance, innovation, quality, distribution, sustainability, customer service, and price. Aggressive pricing or other strategies of competitors, unanticipated product or manufacturing delays, our failure to deliver quality products that meet customer needs, or our failure to price products competitively, adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

To remain competitive, we need to have a thorough understanding of our existing and potential customers on a global basis, particularly in growth markets such as Argentina and Brazil. If we are unable to effectively develop and deliver technology that customers can easily adopt and utilize, customers may not adopt our technology which would adversely impact our business operations and future financial performance. Therefore, our ability to deliver precision technology and expand value-driven solutions is critical to our business success.

In addition, artificial intelligence technologies have rapidly developed, and our business may be adversely affected if we cannot successfully integrate the technology into our internal business processes, products, and services in a timely, cost-effective, compliant, and responsible manner.

These investments may not produce solutions that provide the desired results for customers’ profitability or sustainability outcomes, impacting our competitive position.

From time to time our equipment fails to perform as expected and we have experienced, and may in the future experience, warranty claims, post-sale repairs and recalls, and other consequences.

From time to time, we have received warranty claims and have had to perform post-sales repairs or recalls due to our equipment not performing as expected. In such cases, we may also face regulatory requirements and penalties that can impact our ability to develop, market, and sell equipment. These circumstances may result in product delivery delays and claims related to product liability, breach of warranty, and consumer protection. The costs associated with these claims and warranty expenses could be significant. 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. We may also be subject to investigations relating to our products by government regulators which 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.

We rely on a network of independent dealers to manage the distribution of our products and services. If our 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 they purchase from us. If our dealers are unsuccessful in these endeavors, we will be unable to increase our sales and revenue, which would have an adverse effect on our financial condition.

Our dealers carry inventories of finished products as part of their operations and adjust those inventories based on future needs and market conditions, including the level of used equipment inventory. When the total inventory levels of our dealers are higher than they desire, dealers have postponed equipment purchases from us, and could continue to postpone purchases in the future, which could cause our sales to be lower and negatively impact our results. Similarly, our results could be negatively impacted through the loss of time-sensitive sales if our dealers do not maintain inventory levels sufficient to meet customer demand.

In addition, the dealer channel’s ability to support and service new technologies 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.

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Furthermore, 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 or negative customer impressions and may adversely impact our ability to collect receivables and generate new sales that are associated with that dealer. Dealers could also 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.

We may not realize the 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 into, or may enter into 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:

Our reputation and brand could be damaged by negative publicity.

Our brand has worldwide recognition and contributes to the success of our business. Our reputation is critical for growing our customer base. Our brand depends on the ability to maintain a positive customer perception of the business. Negative claims or publicity across media channels 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, may damage our reputation and brand image, regardless of whether such claims are accurate. Furthermore, our shareholders, customers, and other stakeholders have evolving, varied and often conflicting expectations regarding our culture, values, and our business, which makes it difficult to achieve a uniform positive perception amongst all stakeholders.

Additionally, negative or inaccurate postings, articles, or comments on social media, the internet, or the press about us have generated, and could continue to generate negative publicity that damages the reputation of our brand. For example, we have experienced negative social media campaigns related to our approach to diversity and inclusion, our customers’ right to maintain and safely repair their equipment, including with respect to our Memorandum of Understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation, reductions in workforce, and production relocation. Further, adverse publicity about regulatory or legal action against us, or legal proceedings initiated by us, also damages our reputation and brand image, undermining customer confidence, and reducing 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 and financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

TALENT 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, difficulty in recruiting new employees, perceived or actual erosion of our culture, 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, our culture and our values have been important contributors to our success to date and we believe promote a sense of pride and fulfillment in our employees. Failure to preserve our culture or focus on our values could negatively affect our ability to retain and recruit talent.

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While we strive to reduce the impact of the departure of employees, our operations or ability to execute our business strategy may be affected by the loss of employees, including in connection with reductions in workforce. Reductions may adversely affect us as a result of decreased employee morale, the loss of institutional knowledge, the allocation of resources to reorganize and reassign job roles and responsibilities, and the increased risk of litigation from former employees.

Our business may be adversely affected by any disruptions caused by union activities.

Many of our production and maintenance employees are represented by labor unions under various collective bargaining agreements with different expiration dates. There is no certainty that we will successfully negotiate new agreements with these unions that extend beyond the current expiration dates, or that these new agreements will be on terms that will allow us to be competitive.

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. 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 adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

In addition, additional employees may choose to join or seek recognition for forming a labor union. If additional employees organize in the future, such employees may threaten and/or engage in work stoppages or organize campaigns. The outcomes from such actions may affect our reputation, and could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

CYBERSECURITY AND DIGITAL RISKS

Security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology infrastructure could interfere with our operations and could compromise our information as well as information about our employees, customers, suppliers, and/or dealers, exposing us to liability that could cause our business and reputation to suffer.

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 products within our portfolio, business processes and activities, including supporting our customers’ operations, products and solutions, supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, invoicing, and collection of payments from customers and dealers. 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 confidential data, including intellectual property, proprietary business information, and the proprietary business information of our customers, suppliers, and dealers, as well as personal data of our customers and employees in data centers, which are often owned by third parties and maintained on their information technology networks. In particular, the John Deere Operations Center™, our digital management system that allows customers to access farm and jobsite information through their devices, stores substantial volumes of data at the edge and within cloud environments. This data is used to assist and support our customers’ operations and machines, and to enhance and develop our product offerings, including the development of machine learning, large language models and SaaS products. The secure operation of these information technology networks, and the processing and maintenance of this information, are critical to our business operations and strategy.

Despite security measures designed to discover and address potential vulnerabilities, our information technology networks and infrastructure have been and may continue to be vulnerable to: (i) intrusion, (ii) exfiltration of data, (iii) damage, (iv) disruptions or shutdowns due to attacks by cyber criminals or foreign state actors, (v) employees’, suppliers’, or dealers’ error or malfeasance, (vi) supply chain compromise, (vii) disruptions during the process of upgrading or replacing computer software or hardware, (viii) power and systems outages, (ix) computer viruses, (x) ransomware or other malware, (xi) telecommunication or utility failures, (xii) terrorist acts, (xiii) natural disasters, (xiv) and other events.

Our reliance on cloud-based systems owned by third parties creates particular risks. Because we do not control the underlying infrastructure, we depend on the security and reliability of third-party providers, and any outage, misconfiguration, or loss of data could compromise the integrity of our and our customers’ operations and impair the execution of our business strategy and the achievement of our goals.

Although we have not suffered any significant cyber incidents that have resulted in material business impact, we have from time to time been, and expect to continue to be, 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, acquisition, 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, disruption or shut down of our dealers’ and customers’ operations, and damage to our reputation, which could adversely affect our business, results of

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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 enhance information security.

Any unauthorized control or manipulation of our products’ systems could result in a 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 accuracy or reliability, have resulted, and may in the future 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 loss of sales based on customers’ loss of confidence in our products, legal claims or proceedings against us, government investigation, liability, or regulatory penalties, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Technical or regulatory limitations may impact our ability to effectively implement automation, autonomy, and artificial intelligence solutions.

We utilize and intend to expand our use of automation and machine learning in many of our products, including consumer-facing features, and we leverage generative artificial intelligence in our business processes. For example, we use automation software, digital tools, applications, and analytics on the S7 Series Combines and our See & Spray™ targeted spraying solution. In addition, we maintain the John Deere Operations Center™, which stores substantial volumes of data with respect to our customers’ operations and that we use to support our customers and to develop or enhance our product offerings.

While we believe the use of these emerging technologies can present significant benefits, they also create risks and challenges. Data sourcing, technology, integration and process issues, bias in decision-making algorithms, concerns over intellectual property, reputational implications if use becomes controversial, system security concerns, or the protection of privacy could impair the adoption and acceptance of autonomous machine solutions. Additionally, if we are unable to match or surpass the advances of artificial intelligence that our competitors implement for their products or for internal operations, our competitive position could be impacted.

Furthermore, any confidential information that is disclosed to a third-party generative artificial intelligence platform could be leaked or disclosed to others, including sensitive information that is used to train the third parties’ model. Additionally, if the data used to train the solution or the content, analyses, or recommendations that the machine learning and intelligence applications assist in producing is deemed to be inaccurate, incomplete, biased or questionable, our brand and reputation may be harmed, and we may be subject to legal liability claims. The development of our own artificial intelligence applications will require additional investment in the development of proprietary systems, models, or datasets, which are complex, costly and could impact the results of our operations. Developing, testing, and deploying these technologies may also increase the cost profile of our products due to the level of investment needed to enable such initiatives. In addition, there is no guarantee that we will be able to develop such applications and execute on the longer-term aspects of our business strategy.

Disruption of our technology systems or unexpected network interruption could disrupt our business.

We are increasingly dependent on technology systems to operate on a day-to-day basis. The failure of our technology systems, including the John Deere Operations Center™, to operate properly or effectively, problems with transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems, or difficulty in integrating new systems, could adversely affect our business. These disruptions could result in delays, which could reduce demand for our products and cause our sales to decline. In addition, if changes in technology cause our information systems to become obsolete, or if our information systems are inadequate to manage our growth and new technologies, we could lose customers. Any significant disruption in our technology systems could harm our reputation and credibility and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

LEGAL AND REGULATORY 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, regulations, and executive orders; many of which are complex, frequently changing, and subject to varying interpretations.

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These laws, regulations, and executive orders cover a variety of subjects, including advertising, anti-money laundering, antitrust, autonomy systems, 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, encryption, artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and drones. Changes to existing laws, regulations, executive orders, and enforcement priorities, changes to how they are interpreted, or the implementation of new, more stringent laws, regulations, and executive orders, 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. Failure to comply with these laws, regulations, and executive orders could result in fines and penalties. For example, in the U.S., we could lose government contracts and be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with executive orders. In addition, we must comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and all applicable foreign anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws. 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, our employees, contractors, or agents have violated, and in the future could violate such laws and regulations or our policies and procedures. Violations of these laws and regulations have resulted, and could result in the future, in criminal or civil sanctions and may have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations, and financial condition.

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.

Climate change 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 greenhouse gas (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, research and development investments, and increased energy costs. These results would increase our operating costs through higher utility, transportation, and material costs 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.

Regulators in Europe and the U.S. have also focused efforts on increasing disclosures by companies related to climate change and mitigation efforts. These disclosure rules increase compliance burdens and associated regulatory costs. On the other hand, conflicting views on environmental topics, including GHG emissions reduction goals or other commitments addressing certain climate issues, are becoming increasingly subject to scrutiny from private sectors and governmental authorities. These conflicting views may impact our business and reputation. Further, our financial services segment is subject to additional international and national 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.

Legal proceedings, disputes and government inquiries and investigations could harm our business, financial condition, reputation, and brand.

We routinely are a party to claims and legal actions and the subject of government inquiries and investigations, the most prevalent of which relate to antitrust (including class action litigation), product liability (including asbestos-related liability), employment, patent, and trademark. The defense of lawsuits and government inquiries and investigations have resulted and will continue to result in expenditures of significant financial resources and the diversion of management’s time and attention away from business operations. Adverse decisions in one or more of these claims, actions, inquiries, or investigations could require us to pay substantial damages, fines, or sanctions, undertake actions to modify our business model or services, initiate recall campaigns, or take other costly actions. It is therefore possible that legal judgments or investigations 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.

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) and the Attorneys General of the States of Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin filed a lawsuit against us in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Western Division alleging similar claims. See Item 3 Legal Proceedings. The development and resolution of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, and financial results.

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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, from time to time, third parties 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 related to such legal proceedings. If the outcome of any such legal proceedings is unfavorable to us, our business could be adversely affected.

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