Farm and construction equipment maker Deere & Company (DE) on Thursday received some positive commentary from analysts at Jefferies & Co.

The firm maintained its “Hold” rating on DE but lifted its earnings estimates for the company through 2013. Jefferies noted that North American sales are going better than expected.

Deere shares were mostly flat in early trading Thursday.

The Bottom Line
Shares of Deere & Co. (DE) have a 2.48% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $74.18. The stock has technical support in the $69-$70 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $80 price level.

Deere & Company (DE) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars.

Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks, as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here.