NTR vs DE

For growth investors, Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) is the stronger pick with 5. 3% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -2. 2% for Deere & Company (DE). Nutrien Ltd. (NTR) offers the better valuation at 15. 6x trailing P/E (13. 0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Nutrien Ltd. (NTR) a "Buy" — based on 33 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) is the cheapest at 15. 6x versus Deere & Company at 32. 0x. On forward P/E, Nutrien Ltd. is actually cheaper at 13. 0x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Nutrien Ltd. wins at 0. 32x versus Deere & Company's 2. 03x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Deere & Company (DE) delivered a total return of +58.

7%, compared to +41. 2% for Nutrien Ltd. (NTR). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: DE returned +676. 6% versus NTR's +64. 0%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) is the lower-risk stock at -0. 07β versus Deere & Company's 0. 56β — meaning DE is approximately -878% more volatile than NTR relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Nutrien Ltd. (NTR) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 51% versus 2% for Deere & Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) is pulling ahead at 5. 3% versus -2. 2% for Deere & Company (DE). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Nutrien Ltd. grew EPS 248. 5% year-over-year, compared to 0. 0% for Deere & Company. Over a 3-year CAGR, DE leads at -3. 8% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Deere & Company (DE) is the more profitable company, earning 11.

3% net margin versus 8. 4% for Nutrien Ltd. — meaning it keeps 11. 3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: DE leads at 18. 8% versus 14. 5% for NTR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — DE leads at 36. 5%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Nutrien Ltd. (NTR) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 32x versus Deere & Company's 2. 03x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Nutrien Ltd. (NTR) trades at 13. 0x forward P/E versus 33. 2x for Deere & Company — 20. 2x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for DE: 15. 0% to $680. 54.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Nutrien Ltd. (NTR) offers the highest yield at 3. 0%, versus 1. 1% for Deere & Company (DE).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Nutrien Ltd.

(NTR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β -0. 07), 3. 0% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (NTR: +64. 0%, DE: +676. 6%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (NTR (Basic Materials) and DE (Industrials)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: NTR is a mid-cap deep-value stock; DE is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.