Earnings Wrap: DE, ZLC

Deere & Co. (DE) announced that profit for the fiscal fourth quarter increased by 3% to $687.6 million, or $1.75 per share, versus $669.6 million, or $1.62 per share, in the same period last year. Sales increased by 14% to $9.79 billion. Analysts had expected the company to earn $1.88 per share, on sales of $8.93 billoin. The company expects a fiscal 2013 profit of about $3.2 billion, slightly below analyst estimates of $3.26 billion.