Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Raised to "Strong-Buy" at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Nucor from “hold” to “strong-buy,” and also raised its earnings estimates across multiple future periods, signaling a more bullish outlook on the steel producer.
• Other major analysts have also turned positive, with firms like Citigroup, Bank of America, JPMorgan, and Jefferies raising price targets; the stock now carries a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target price of $243.80.
• Nucor recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting $3.23 EPS on $9.50 billion in revenue, while also benefiting from a $4 billion share buyback authorization that suggests management sees value in the stock.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,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.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Nucor from $180.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Nucor from $190.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Nucor from $212.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Nucor from $180.00 to $227.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Nucor from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $243.80.

Nucor Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NUE opened at $232.47 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company has a market cap of $52.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.02, a PEG ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.87. Nucor has a 52 week low of $106.21 and a 52 week high of $235.45. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $188.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $173.88.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $3.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.82 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $9.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.88 billion. Nucor had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 10.68%. The firm's revenue was up 21.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.77 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Nucor will post 14.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Nucor declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Friday, February 20th that authorizes the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the basic materials company to repurchase up to 9.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Nucor news, EVP David A. Sumoski sold 33,068 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.67, for a total value of $7,462,455.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 243,339 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $54,914,312.13. This trade represents a 11.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel R. Needham sold 12,888 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.00, for a total transaction of $2,912,688.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 89,724 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,277,624. This trade represents a 12.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 69,318 shares of company stock valued at $15,672,093 in the last 90 days. 0.62% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Stance Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nucor during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Strive Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nucor during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nucor during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Nucor by 49.2% during the 1st quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 191 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Nucor in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 76.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines 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

About Nucor

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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