Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Jefferies Financial Group Analyst Says

Key Points

• Jefferies raised its price target to $250 (from $225) and kept a "buy" rating, implying about a 15% upside; the street consensus is a Moderate Buy with a $207.90 average target.
• Q1 results beat expectations: Nucor reported $3.23 EPS vs. $2.82 expected and $9.50B revenue vs. $8.89B, with revenue up 21.3% year‑over‑year, driving recent stock strength.
• Board authorized a $4.0 billion share buyback, allowing repurchases of up to 9.7% of shares, signaling management confidence in the stock while insiders have been selling modestly.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $225.00 to $250.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the basic materials company's stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price target points to a potential upside of 15.14% from the stock's current price.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on NUE. KeyCorp started coverage on Nucor in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. They issued a "sector weight" rating for the company. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "equal weight" rating and set a $180.00 price objective (up from $165.00) on shares of Nucor in a research report on Friday, January 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Nucor in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $210.00 target price for the company. Seaport Research Partners lifted their price target on shares of Nucor from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Nucor from $197.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Nucor presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $207.90.

Nucor Price Performance

Nucor stock traded up $2.13 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $217.13. 321,789 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,645,686. The company has a market cap of $49.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.84, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.73. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $178.41 and a two-hundred day moving average of $167.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 2.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Nucor has a 12-month low of $106.21 and a 12-month high of $223.44.

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

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

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Kenneth Rex Query sold 7,452 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.02, for a total value of $1,460,741.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 76,628 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,020,620.56. The trade was a 8.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Daniel R. Needham sold 3,881 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 approximately $15,717,044. This trade represents a 4.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 26,401 shares of company stock worth $4,936,152. Corporate insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nucor

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NUE. FUKOKU MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE Co acquired a new stake in Nucor in the 1st quarter worth approximately $202,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Nucor by 3.7% in the first quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 6,271 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,060,000 after buying an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Beacon Financial Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nucor in the first quarter worth $1,182,000. PFG Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nucor during the first quarter worth $282,000. Finally, Counterweight Ventures LLC increased its position in shares of Nucor by 10.8% in the 1st quarter. Counterweight Ventures LLC now owns 14,666 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,480,000 after acquiring an additional 1,426 shares during the period. 76.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Nucor

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat — Nucor reported $3.23 EPS and $9.50B in sales, both ahead of estimates, driven by higher selling prices and volumes across its steel mills. This is the primary catalyst for the stock strength. Nucor Reports Results for the First Quarter of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: BMO raises price target — BMO Capital Markets increased its target from $196 to $235 and set an “outperform” rating, providing fresh analyst validation that supports further upside. BMO Price Target Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Strong mills performance noted by press — The WSJ and other outlets highlighted that the steel mills business lifted profits via higher average selling prices and volumes, reinforcing the quality of the beat. Nucor Logs Profit Rises, Boosted by Steel Mills Business
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings positioning and momentum — Options and trend-following flows pushed the stock higher into the print, contributing to intraday momentum but not changing fundamentals. Nucor Climbs as Investors Position for Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst write-ups and metric comparisons — Coverage (Zacks, TipRanks) is dissecting margins, segment performance and year-over-year improvements; useful for modeling but largely reaffirming the beat vs. estimates. Nucor Q1 Earnings: How Key Metrics Compare
• Negative Sentiment: Insider and institutional selling noted — Reports flag significant insider sales and some large institutional position reductions in recent quarters, a potential bearish signal for sentiment if sustained. Insider & Institutional Activity

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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