Vest Financial LLC Sells 26,725 Shares of Nucor Corporation $NUE

Key Points

• Vest Financial LLC trimmed its stake in Nucor by 6.9%, selling 26,725 shares in Q4 and leaving it with 360,972 shares worth about $58.9 million (≈0.16% of the company).
• Nucor beat Q1 expectations, reporting $3.23 EPS (vs. $2.82 est.) and $9.50B revenue, and the board authorized a $4.0 billion share buyback while declaring a $0.56 quarterly dividend.
• Despite the beat and several upward price-target revisions, insiders have been net sellers (26,401 shares sold in the last 90 days), while analysts maintain a consensus of a Moderate Buy with an average target near $205.40.

Vest Financial LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE - Free Report) by 6.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 360,972 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 26,725 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC owned approximately 0.16% of Nucor worth $58,878,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in NUE. Strategic Blueprint LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nucor in the 4th quarter valued at $253,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC raised its stake in Nucor by 8.6% during the 4th quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 32,187 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $5,250,000 after buying an additional 2,552 shares during the period. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC acquired a new stake in Nucor during the 4th quarter worth $218,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in Nucor during the 4th quarter worth $140,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in Nucor during the 4th quarter worth $45,000. Institutional investors own 76.48% of the company's stock.

Nucor News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — $3.23 diluted EPS and $9.50B in sales, topping Street estimates and showing large year-over-year improvement; company reported net earnings of $743M and EBITDA of $1.51B. Nucor Reports Results for the First Quarter of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Operational beat driven by steel mills — WSJ notes profit growth across segments with particularly strong performance at steel mills from higher average selling prices and volumes, supporting margin expansion. Nucor Logs Profit Rises, Boosted by Steel Mills Business
• Positive Sentiment: Pre-earnings positioning and prior guidance amplified buying — investors leaned on Nucor’s March guidance (Q1 EPS $2.70–$2.80), driving momentum into the print and pushing shares to record intraday levels. Nucor climbs as investors position for earnings and digest upbeat prior guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst expectations and price targets were adjusted ahead of the print (median targets near $190, several in the low-$200s), reflecting divided views on sustainability of current margins. Top Wall Street Forecasters Revamp Nucor Expectations Ahead Of Q1 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Press and market write-ups highlight strong shareholder returns and elevated event-driven interest but offer limited new forward guidance beyond the company’s prior update. Nucor Posts Strong First-Quarter Results and Shareholder Returns
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling noted in recent months (multiple executives sold shares; few/no purchases), which some investors view as a cautionary signal despite the beat. Nucor climbs as investors position for earnings and digest upbeat prior guidance

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $180.00 price objective (up from $165.00) on shares of Nucor in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Nucor from $200.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group downgraded Nucor from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $190.00 to $224.00 in a research note on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Nucor from $196.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Seaport Research Partners raised their price objective on Nucor from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $205.40.

Nucor Price Performance

NUE stock opened at $214.91 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $178.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $167.36. The stock has a market cap of $48.92 billion, a PE ratio of 28.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.73. The company has a current ratio of 2.94, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Nucor Corporation has a 1 year low of $106.21 and a 1 year high of $217.38.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $3.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.82 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $9.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.89 billion. Nucor had a return on equity of 8.26% and a net margin of 5.37%.The company's revenue was up 21.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.77 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Nucor Corporation will post 12.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Nucor Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 11th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. Nucor's dividend payout ratio is 29.71%.

Nucor declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Friday, February 20th that allows the company to buyback $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the basic materials company to reacquire up to 9.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Kenneth Rex Query sold 7,452 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.02, for a total transaction of $1,460,741.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 76,628 shares in the company, valued at $15,020,620.56. This represents a 8.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel R. Needham sold 3,881 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.00, for a total transaction of $690,818.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 88,298 shares of the company's stock, valued at $15,717,044. This trade represents a 4.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 26,401 shares of company stock worth $4,936,152. Corporate insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

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.

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