Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Upgraded to “Strong-Buy” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Nucor (NYSE:NUE) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor’s Q2 2026 earnings at $5.44 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $4.70 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $3.69 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $17.06 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $4.79 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.71 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $5.43 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $5.15 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $21.07 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $4.66 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $20.41 EPS.

NUE has been the subject of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Nucor from $196.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Nucor from $180.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Nucor from $180.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating and set a $245.00 target price on shares of Nucor in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Nucor from $212.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $243.80.

Nucor Trading Up 1.1%

Nucor stock opened at $232.47 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $188.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $173.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.90 and a quick ratio of 1.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $52.92 billion, a PE ratio of 23.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.87. Nucor has a 12-month low of $106.21 and a 12-month high of $235.45.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $3.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.82 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $9.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.88 billion. Nucor had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 10.68%. The business’s revenue was up 21.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.77 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Nucor will post 14.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Nucor declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Friday, February 20th that permits the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the basic materials company to reacquire up to 9.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Nucor Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were paid a $0.56 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Nucor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.18%.

Insider Transactions at Nucor

In related news, insider Michael D. Keller sold 4,554 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.86, for a total value of $1,028,566.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 16,834 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,802,127.24. This trade represents a 21.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Allen C. Behr sold 10,096 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.08, for a total transaction of $2,282,503.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 62,871 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,213,875.68. This represents a 13.84% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 69,318 shares of company stock worth $15,672,093. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nucor

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NUE. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Nucor in the 4th quarter worth approximately $609,002,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Nucor by 580.9% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 653,845 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $84,699,000 after purchasing an additional 557,819 shares during the period. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in Nucor by 20.1% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,042,761 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $412,081,000 after purchasing an additional 509,019 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. boosted its stake in Nucor by 169.0% in the 4th quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 779,940 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $127,216,000 after purchasing an additional 489,950 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in Nucor by 27.5% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,780,423 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $290,405,000 after buying an additional 383,952 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Nucor

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added Nucor to its Rank #1 (Strong Buy) list, which can attract momentum-oriented investors and signal improving near-term sentiment. New Strong Buy Stocks for May 13th
• Positive Sentiment: Several Zacks Research estimate revisions raised Nucor’s projected earnings across multiple future periods, including FY2026, FY2027, and FY2028, suggesting analysts see stronger profitability ahead. Why Nucor (NUE) Might be Well Poised for a Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also included NUE in its “Best Momentum Stocks to Buy” list and highlighted that the stock has been gaining, reinforcing the bullish technical and sentiment backdrop. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for May 13th
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage also noted that Nucor has risen modestly over the past week, but the move appears more tied to analyst upgrades than to a company-specific operating announcement. Nucor (NUE) Is Up 0.65% in One Week: What You Should Know

Nucor Company Profile

Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) is an American steel producer headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company is primarily engaged in the manufacture and sale of steel and steel products, operating a network of steel mills, recycling facilities and fabrication plants across the United States and North America. Nucor’s operations emphasize electric arc furnace steelmaking using recycled scrap metal, which supports a decentralized, mill-based production model focused on efficiency and flexibility.

Product offerings span a broad range of basic and value‑added steel items, including sheet, plate, merchant bar, structural beams, reinforcing bar, tubing, fasteners and fabricated components.