Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Cut to "Hold" at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded Nucor from strong-buy to hold, while also setting its Q2 2026 EPS estimate at $4.77.
• The stock was down 2.6% to $222.72 in Monday trading, though it remains above its 200-day moving average and near the middle of its 52-week range.
• Nucor’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with $3.23 EPS and $9.50 billion in revenue, and Wall Street still sees a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a target price of $266.92.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) was downgraded by Zacks Research from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor's Q2 2026 earnings at $4.77 EPS.

NUE has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Nucor from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Nucor from $227.00 to $258.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. BNP Paribas Exane upped their price target on Nucor from $210.00 to $248.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Nucor from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Nucor in a report on Thursday, May 21st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $270.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $266.92.

Nucor Stock Down 2.6%

Shares of NUE opened at $222.72 on Monday. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $237.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $195.96. Nucor has a one year low of $128.46 and a one year high of $270.90. The company has a market capitalization of $50.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.05, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.90 and a quick ratio of 1.55.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $3.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.82 by $0.41. Nucor had a return on equity of 10.68% and a net margin of 6.82%.The company had revenue of $9.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.88 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.77 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 21.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Nucor will post 17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Nucor

In related news, insider Michael D. Keller sold 4,554 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.86, for a total transaction of $1,028,566.44. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 16,834 shares in the company, valued at $3,802,127.24. This trade represents a 21.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Allen C. Behr sold 10,096 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.08, for a total value of $2,282,503.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 62,871 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,213,875.68. This trade represents a 13.84% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 82,378 shares of company stock valued at $18,963,930 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nucor

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NUE. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Nucor by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 28,407,540 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $4,633,554,000 after purchasing an additional 144,038 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Nucor by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,853,205 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $628,497,000 after buying an additional 41,728 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Nucor in the 4th quarter valued at $609,002,000. Capital World Investors lifted its position in Nucor by 20.1% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,042,761 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $412,081,000 after buying an additional 509,019 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Nucor by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,539,044 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $429,298,000 after buying an additional 22,718 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.48% 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.