Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Stock Moved Up to “Strong-Buy” by Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Nucor (NYSE:NUE) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Tuesday,Zacks reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor’s Q3 2026 earnings at $5.61 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $6.84 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $5.13 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $4.20 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $19.44 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $6.05 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $21.21 EPS.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Nucor in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Nucor from $285.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 18th. Morgan Stanley set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Nucor in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Freedom Broker downgraded shares of Nucor from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $305.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Nucor from $304.00 to $302.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $276.07.

Nucor Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of Nucor stock opened at $256.97 on Tuesday. Nucor has a 1 year low of $131.32 and a 1 year high of $280.11. The company has a market cap of $58.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.49, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.84. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $254.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $237.25.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The basic materials company reported $4.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.46 by $0.38. The company had revenue of $10.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.15 billion. Nucor had a return on equity of 12.73% and a net margin of 7.99%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.60 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Nucor will post 19.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Nucor Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.56 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Nucor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.86%.

Insider Transactions at Nucor

In related news, COO Stephen D. Laxton sold 3,968 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $256.96, for a total value of $1,019,617.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 77,867 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,008,704.32. The trade was a 4.85% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Thomas J. Batterbee sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.02, for a total value of $1,044,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,138 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,212,340.76. The trade was a 19.86% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.62% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nucor

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors lifted its stake in shares of Nucor by 3.7% in the third quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors now owns 1,395 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $326,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. grew its position in Nucor by 3.2% during the third quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 2,066 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $483,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its stake in Nucor by 85.7% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 312 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the period. Strategy Asset Managers LLC bought a new position in Nucor during the third quarter valued at about $800,000. Finally, Sanders Morris Harris LLC bought a new position in Nucor during the third quarter valued at about $1,303,000. Institutional investors own 76.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Nucor

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Nucor plans to invest $105 million to expand its Nucor Towers & Structures facility in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The project will add more than 120,000 square feet of automated manufacturing capacity and create 100 jobs, positioning the company to benefit from rising U.S. electricity transmission and distribution spending. Does Nucor’s US$105 Million Grid Investment Shift The Bull Case For NUE Toward Higher-Value Steel?
• Positive Sentiment: The Indiana expansion strengthens Nucor’s exposure to higher-value utility poles and related structural products rather than relying solely on traditional steel markets. Advanced automation could improve production efficiency and margins as grid investment accelerates. What Does Nucor Indiana Utility Pole Expansion Mean For Grid Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Nucor EPS forecasts for fourth-quarter 2026 to $6.84 from $4.81, fourth-quarter 2027 to $4.20 from $3.50, and full-year 2027 to $19.44 from $18.83. These revisions provide a more constructive earnings backdrop, despite the firm retaining a “Hold” rating.
• Positive Sentiment: NUE was included in Zacks’ October 14 Strong Buy lists for both momentum and value stocks, reinforcing the stock’s favorable technical performance and valuation profile. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for October 14th
• Neutral Sentiment: Nucor is scheduled to discuss its third-quarter 2026 results on an upcoming conference call, which could provide additional guidance on steel pricing, margins and demand. Nucor Invites You to Join Its Third Quarter of 2026 Conference Call
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered some longer-term quarterly EPS estimates, including third-quarter 2026 to $5.61 from $5.90 and third-quarter 2027 to $5.13 from $5.23. The cuts suggest that steel-market cyclicality and margin pressure remain risks.

Nucor Company Profile

Nucor Corporation is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based steel producer and one of the largest steel companies in North America. The company operates electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mills that use recycled scrap steel as a primary raw material, along with facilities that manufacture and process steel products for construction, manufacturing, transportation, energy and other industrial markets.

Nucor’s product portfolio includes carbon and alloy steel in sheet, plate, bar and structural forms, as well as reinforcing steel, wire and wire mesh.