Heavy equipment maker Deere & Co. ( NYSE: DE ) has posted a share price gain of just 0.4% over the past 12 months. In mid-April, the stock put up an all-time high but shares have dropped by more than 12% since then. The reasoning is that rising fertilizer prices (along with shortages of fertilizer) could cause farmers to hold off on new equipment purchases or plant less acreage. Inflation does not help either. Deere reports results before Friday's opening bell.