The Financial Post reports in its Friday, May 22, edition that Deere & Co. shares fell Thursday as farm machinery sales stayed sluggish in North America, raising questions about the agriculture economy. A Bloomberg dispatch to the Post reports that Deere maintained its profit outlook while reporting second quarter results. Crop farmers face ongoing pressure as prices lag behind rising costs. Spending on new equipment is limited due to increased fuel and fertilizer prices stemming from the war in Iran. Deere posted fiscal second quarter earnings that topped expectations. It got a lift from construction and the forestry segment, as well as tariff refund claims of $272-million (U.S.). Still, shares were down as much as 4.4 per cent in New York, to the lowest level since February. Deere in the previous quarter said 2026 would mark the bottom of the down cycle for the United States. farm economy, sending its shares soaring. Yet the impacts from the conflict in the Middle East could change the trajectory of the recovery. Oppenheimer analyst Kristen Owen pointed to a complex backdrop for farmers, with "crosswinds of modestly improved commodities prices against higher energy and fertilizer prices."