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DE vs. GD: Deere vs. General Dynamics Stock Comparison

How do Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but DE is classified in Machinery while GD is classified in Aerospace & Defense.

Company profile comparison for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD)
Profile ItemDEGD
NameDeere & CompanyGeneral Dynamics Corp.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryMachineryAerospace & Defense
GICS Sub-IndustryAgricultural & Farm MachineryAerospace & Defense
Market Capitalization181.09 billion USD95.68 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateJune 1, 1972January 2, 1962
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

DE
GD
GSPC
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD)
MetricDEGD
Total Return (1Y)49.27%6.52%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)24.81%16.95%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)15.67%14.65%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

DE
GD
GSPC
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD)
MetricDEGD
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)33.18%23.03%
Beta (5Y)0.880.30
Max Drawdown (5Y)-33.81%-22.55%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.23M1.19M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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DE and GD are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD)
MetricDEGD
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)1.360.10
Sortino Ratio (1Y)2.260.15

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Deere (DE) at 18.24% and General Dynamics (GD) at 18.01% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

DE

Capital Goods industry group

18.24%

Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
DE
18.24%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%

GD

Capital Goods industry group

18.01%

Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
GD
18.01%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Deere (DE) at 10.17% and General Dynamics (GD) at 8.24% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

DE

Capital Goods industry group

10.17%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
DE
10.17%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%

GD

Capital Goods industry group

8.24%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
GD
8.24%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Deere (DE) at 13.37% and General Dynamics (GD) at 10.49% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

DE

Capital Goods industry group

13.37%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
DE
13.37%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%

GD

Capital Goods industry group

10.49%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
GD
10.49%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD)
MetricDEGD
ROE (TTM)18.24%18.01%
ROA (TTM)3.76%6.23%
Net Margin (TTM)10.17%8.24%
Operating Margin (TTM)13.37%10.49%
Gross Margin (TTM)25.18%15.42%

Growth

Revenue Growth

General Dynamics (GD) at 10.13% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Deere (DE) at -11.59% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

General Dynamics (GD) at 13.35% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Deere (DE) at -27.79% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD)
MetricDEGD
Revenue Growth (YoY)-11.59%10.13%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)-4.50%10.07%
EPS Growth (YoY)-27.79%13.35%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-7.37%8.22%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Deere (DE) at 2.13 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while General Dynamics (GD) at 1.43 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for GD.

DE

Capital Goods industry group

2.13

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
DE
2.13
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
Min
0.36

GD

Capital Goods industry group

1.43

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
GD
1.43
Min
0.36
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

General Dynamics (GD) at 0.33 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Deere (DE) at 2.30 uses more debt funding than most peers.

DE

Capital Goods industry group

2.30

Max
2.33
DE
2.30
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00

GD

Capital Goods industry group

0.33

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
GD
0.33
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD)
MetricDEGD
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.131.43
Debt / Equity (MRQ)2.300.33
Net Debt / EBITDA6.700.68

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

General Dynamics (GD) at 1.76% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Deere (DE) at 0.98% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, GD the richer one.

DE

Capital Goods industry group

0.98%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
DE
0.98%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

GD

Capital Goods industry group

1.76%

Max
2.66%
GD
1.76%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Deere (DE) at 36.02% and General Dynamics (GD) at 36.90% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

DE

Capital Goods industry group

36.02%

Max
67.39%
DE
36.02%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

GD

Capital Goods industry group

36.90%

Max
67.39%
GD
36.90%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD)
MetricDEGD
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.98%1.76%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)36.02%36.90%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

General Dynamics (GD) at 20.84 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Deere (DE) at 37.33 sits in the richer quartile — DE needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

DE

Capital Goods industry group

37.33

Max
59.38
DE
37.33
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03

GD

Capital Goods industry group

20.84

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
GD
20.84
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

General Dynamics (GD) at 1.69 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Deere (DE) at 3.78 sits in the pricier quartile — DE costs more per dollar of sales.

DE

Capital Goods industry group

3.78

Max
7.54
DE
3.78
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03

GD

Capital Goods industry group

1.69

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
GD
1.69
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

General Dynamics (GD) at 3.50 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Deere (DE) at 6.47 carries an above-peer premium to book — DE is pricier on assets.

DE

Capital Goods industry group

6.47

Max
9.66
DE
6.47
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08

GD

Capital Goods industry group

3.50

Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
GD
3.50
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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Deere (DE) vs. General Dynamics (GD): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Deere (DE) and General Dynamics (GD)
MetricDEGD
P/E Ratio (TTM)37.3320.84
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.781.69
P/B Ratio (MRQ)6.473.50
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)2.49%4.76%