Last Update 08 Dec 25
Fair value Decreased 0.20%CNH Tariff Pressures Will Moderate As Agricultural Cycle Recovery Emerges By 2026
Analysts have trimmed their price target on CNH Industrial by a few dollars to better reflect modestly softer long term revenue growth and margin expectations, as well as a slightly higher implied future earnings multiple in light of ongoing tariff headwinds and a slower anticipated recovery in the agricultural market.
Analyst Commentary
Recent Street research reflects a more cautious but still engaged stance from the sell side, with modestly lower price targets framed against ongoing operational execution and the pace of recovery in key end markets.
Bullish Takeaways
- Bullish analysts highlight that management has proactively reset near term expectations, which may de risk estimates and create a cleaner setup for upside if the agricultural cycle stabilizes sooner than anticipated.
- Expectations for a potential agricultural market inflection around 2026 support a longer term recovery narrative and underpin the view that current valuation already discounts much of the cyclical downturn.
- Some investors see the combination of lower price targets and maintained Neutral ratings as signaling that downside may be more limited from here, provided CNH can sustain cost discipline and protect margins.
- Improved earnings visibility beyond the near term, if supported by clearer demand signals and easing tariff pressures, could justify a higher earnings multiple than what is currently implied in the reset targets.
Bearish Takeaways
- Bearish analysts point to the Q3 earnings miss and reduced guidance as evidence that execution risk remains elevated and warrants lower price targets despite an already compressed valuation.
- Persistent tariff headwinds are seen as a structural drag on profitability, limiting near term margin expansion and constraining the upside case on earnings revisions.
- Heightened concern around Brazil and broader Latin American demand introduces additional uncertainty to CNH's growth trajectory, particularly in high margin agricultural equipment.
- The slower than previously expected recovery in the agricultural market reduces confidence in near term top line acceleration and leads to more conservative growth and multiple assumptions in valuation models.
What's in the News
- CNH and Cyient have renewed and expanded their strategic partnership to scale advanced perception and automation capabilities across multiple construction vehicle platforms. The initiative builds on their Advanced Perception System for Wheel Loaders showcased at Bauma, with a focus on autonomy, safety, and productivity gains. (Key Developments)
- CNH is launching its FLEETPRO aftermarket services line at Agritechnica 2025. The line offers certified spare parts and consumables aimed at post warranty and legacy agricultural machinery across EMEA, targeting dependable performance and competitive pricing through authorized Case IH, New Holland, and STEYR dealers. (Key Developments)
- The FLEETPRO portfolio will include Precision Farming kits, developed with CHC Navigation. These kits will feature 10 inch and 12 inch guidance displays with hydraulic and assisted steering options that are compatible with mixed brand fleets, and can be scaled with CNH's Raven precision technology and FieldOps digital platform integration. (Key Developments)
- CNH has completed a share repurchase tranche, buying back 4,444,234 shares from July 1 to September 30, 2025. This brings total repurchases under the February 14, 2024 buyback program to 18,638,409 shares, or 1.48 percent of shares outstanding, for $205.34 million. (Key Developments)
Valuation Changes
- Fair Value Estimate was nudged slightly lower, moving from $13.12 to $13.10 per share, reflecting marginally softer long term assumptions.
- The Discount Rate was effectively unchanged, holding at approximately 13.46 percent and indicating a stable risk profile in the updated model.
- Revenue Growth was reduced modestly, with the long term annual growth assumption easing from about 1.52 percent to 1.46 percent.
- The Net Profit Margin was trimmed slightly, shifting from roughly 8.16 percent to 8.15 percent in the updated forecast period.
- The Future P/E was raised marginally, increasing from about 15.63x to 15.66x and implying a slightly higher valuation multiple on forward earnings.
Key Takeaways
- Expansion of advanced tech and services, along with focus on sustainability, will drive higher-margin growth and position CNH for industry shifts toward autonomy and electrification.
- Strategic moves in emerging markets and operational improvements will diversify revenue sources, boost efficiency, and support earnings growth as demand recovers.
- Persistent cost pressures, geographic concentration, inventory challenges, execution risks in digital transformation, and cyclical market exposure threaten margin stability and long-term growth.
Catalysts
About CNH Industrial- An equipment and services company, engages in the design, production, marketing, sale, and financing of agricultural and construction equipment in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and the Asia Pacific.
- The integration of advanced connectivity and precision technologies (e.g., the Starlink partnership, FieldOps platform, in-house tech stack) positions CNH to capture greater recurring, higher-margin revenue streams from software, data, and tech-enabled services, supporting net margin and long-term earnings growth.
- Continued strategic investment and momentum in emerging markets such as India, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa will diversify revenue streams, reduce geographic dependence on North America, and drive top-line revenue growth as mechanization rates rise and local engineering/sourcing are leveraged.
- Ongoing product portfolio refreshes and launches-especially in mid-range and high-value tractors and tech-enhanced machinery-alongside disciplined channel inventory management, set up CNH for sharp revenue and earnings momentum as demand recovers from trough levels in 2026.
- The global push for sustainable, energy-efficient, and connected equipment is driving increased R&D and new product introductions at CNH, positioning the company to benefit from the accelerating industry shift toward autonomy, electrification, and environmental compliance, supporting future sales and improved margins.
- Persistent operational focus on manufacturing quality, process improvements, and cost discipline, complemented by strategic sourcing initiatives (with particular progress in Europe), will underpin higher operating leverage, net margins, and earnings as production levels normalize and the company enters the next upcycle.
CNH Industrial Future Earnings and Revenue Growth
Assumptions
How have these above catalysts been quantified?- Analysts are assuming CNH Industrial's revenue will grow by 1.2% annually over the next 3 years.
- Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 4.6% today to 8.3% in 3 years time.
- Analysts expect earnings to reach $1.6 billion (and earnings per share of $1.27) by about September 2028, up from $823.0 million today. However, there is a considerable amount of disagreement amongst the analysts with the most bullish expecting $2.1 billion in earnings, and the most bearish expecting $1.0 billion.
- In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 17.6x on those 2028 earnings, up from 17.2x today. This future PE is lower than the current PE for the US Machinery industry at 24.7x.
- Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 0.15% per year for the next 3 years.
- To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 13.28%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.
CNH Industrial Future Earnings Per Share Growth
Risks
What could happen that would invalidate this narrative?- Ongoing uncertainties around tariffs, retaliatory trade agreements, and escalating input costs (notably steel, copper, and semiconductors) may persistently impact CNH's cost structure and pricing power, posing a risk of further margin compression and putting pressure on earnings.
- Heavy reliance on the North American agricultural market, which is experiencing disproportionately large sales declines (36% drop in Q2 2025), exposes CNH to significant geographic risk and earnings volatility, especially given mixed prospects for swift market recovery and the slow wait-and-see approach from farmers.
- Rising inventories (especially small and medium tractors in North America) and ongoing channel destocking create a risk of discounting, price incentives, and reduced pricing discipline, potentially leading to revenue and net margin erosion if used equipment oversupply persists.
- Execution risk around digital transformation and tech stack integration-including significant investments in tech/precision offerings-could result in elevated R&D and capex without a proportional uplift in competitive positioning, especially as established industry peers and technology startups intensify innovation and vie for market share, impacting long-term earnings growth.
- Exposure to cyclicality and macroeconomic uncertainty in key end markets (agriculture and construction), combined with soft commodity prices and high farmer stock levels, may cap equipment replacement cycles and industry demand, ultimately limiting top-line growth and compressing net margins for an extended period.
Valuation
How have all the factors above been brought together to estimate a fair value?- The analysts have a consensus price target of $15.032 for CNH Industrial based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $21.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $11.5.
- In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $18.7 billion, earnings will come to $1.6 billion, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 17.6x, assuming you use a discount rate of 13.3%.
- Given the current share price of $11.33, the analyst price target of $15.03 is 24.6% higher.
- We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.
How well do narratives help inform your perspective?
Disclaimer
AnalystConsensusTarget is a tool utilizing a Large Language Model (LLM) that ingests data on consensus price targets, forecasted revenue and earnings figures, as well as the transcripts of earnings calls to produce qualitative analysis. The narratives produced by AnalystConsensusTarget are general in nature and are based solely on analyst data and publicly-available material published by the respective companies. These scenarios are not indicative of the company's future performance and are exploratory in nature. Simply Wall St has no position in the company(s) mentioned. Simply Wall St may provide the securities issuer or related entities with website advertising services for a fee, on an arm's length basis. These relationships have no impact on the way we conduct our business, the content we host, or how our content is served to users. The price targets and estimates used are consensus data, and do not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and they do not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Note that AnalystConsensusTarget's analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



