Nucor Corporation $NUE Shares Sold by Empowered Funds LLC

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC cut its Nucor stake by 41.7% in the first quarter, selling 21,136 shares and retaining 29,571 shares valued at approximately $5 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 76.48% of Nucor.
• Nucor reported quarterly EPS of $4.84, beating estimates of $4.46, while revenue rose 23% year over year to $10.40 billion. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.56 per share, yielding about 0.9% annually.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with 12 Buy ratings and four Holds producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $273.31, although some analysts cite macroeconomic and steel-demand risks.

Empowered Funds LLC reduced its position in Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE - Free Report) by 41.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,571 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 21,136 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in Nucor were worth $5,000,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in NUE. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Nucor by 745.2% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 83,463 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $13,614,000 after acquiring an additional 73,588 shares during the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System raised its position in shares of Nucor by 19.3% in the 1st quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 510,331 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $86,297,000 after purchasing an additional 82,668 shares during the last quarter. Oak Harvest Investment Services purchased a new position in shares of Nucor in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,329,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Nucor by 21.7% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 45,371 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $7,400,000 after purchasing an additional 8,097 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacific Heights Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Nucor by 12.9% in the 4th quarter. Pacific Heights Asset Management LLC now owns 175,000 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $28,544,000 after purchasing an additional 20,000 shares in the last quarter. 76.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on NUE. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Nucor from $224.00 to $256.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Nucor in a report on Wednesday. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Nucor from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Nucor from $260.00 to $284.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners upped their target price on Nucor from $245.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $273.31.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Allen C. Behr sold 10,096 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $14,213,875.68. The trade was a 13.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Randy J. Spicer sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.00, for a total transaction of $562,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,510 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,614,750. The trade was a 10.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 29,950 shares of company stock valued at $7,122,879 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Nucor

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raise earnings expectations: Zacks Research brokers increased their earnings estimates for Nucor, suggesting greater confidence in the company’s near-term profitability. Zacks Research Brokers Raise Earnings Estimates for Nucor
• Positive Sentiment: Record shipments strengthen the outlook: Nucor’s shipment performance is being cited as a key reason for a more bullish earnings outlook, indicating solid demand across its steel operations. Nucor’s Record Shipments Drive Bullish Earnings Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Positive momentum and relative performance: Nucor is described as a strong momentum stock and has outperformed other basic-materials companies, including Charlotte-based Albemarle, supporting continued investor interest. Here’s Why Nucor Is a Strong Momentum Stock Nucor Outshines Albemarle in Charlotte Stock Duel
• Positive Sentiment: UBS sees further upside: A UBS Group analyst expects Nucor’s stock price to rise, adding to the constructive analyst sentiment. Nucor Stock Price Expected to Rise, UBS Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views are not unanimous: Recent coverage includes mixed opinions on Nucor, while another report discusses Nucor alongside Ecolab without indicating a clear change in the company’s fundamentals. Analysts’ Opinions Are Mixed on Nucor
• Negative Sentiment: Macro risks remain: A shrinking U.S. trade deficit is accompanied by signs of pressure in steel mills, freight activity and consumer sentiment, raising concerns about industrial demand and potential cyclicality for steel producers. What a $101.5 Billion Trade Deficit Really Means for Americans in 2026

Nucor Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NUE opened at $257.19 on Friday. Nucor Corporation has a twelve month low of $131.32 and a twelve month high of $270.90. The company's 50 day moving average is $242.94 and its 200 day moving average is $207.32. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a market cap of $58.57 billion, a PE ratio of 20.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.91.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The basic materials company reported $4.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.46 by $0.38. Nucor had a net margin of 7.99% and a return on equity of 12.73%. The company had revenue of $10.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.15 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.60 EPS. Nucor's revenue for the quarter was up 23.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Nucor Corporation will post 17.84 EPS for the current year.

Nucor Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. Nucor's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.86%.

Nucor 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.

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