Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $227 (from $180) while keeping an "equal weight" rating, implying only about a 2% upside from the current share price; the analyst consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average target near $230.
• Nucor delivered a strong Q1 beat — $3.23 EPS vs. $2.82 estimate and $9.50B revenue (up 21.3% YoY) — with management citing record mill shipments and strategic capacity investments that have helped drive a ~38% YTD stock gain.
• The board authorized a $4.0 billion share repurchase (up to 9.7% of shares), but recent insider selling and risks from higher energy/input costs and trade‑policy friction could cap further upside.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $180.00 to $227.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an "equal weight" rating on the basic materials company's stock. Morgan Stanley's target price indicates a potential upside of 2.01% from the stock's current price.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on NUE. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Nucor in a research note on Wednesday. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of Nucor in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. They set a "sector weight" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Nucor from $198.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. UBS Group lowered shares of Nucor from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $190.00 to $224.00 in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Nucor from $197.00 to $213.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $230.00.

Nucor Trading Down 1.1%

Nucor stock traded down $2.58 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $222.53. The stock had a trading volume of 111,434 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,665,957. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $179.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $168.01. 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 one year low of $106.21 and a one year high of $227.48. The stock has a market cap of $50.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.73.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $3.23 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.82 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $9.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.89 billion. Nucor had a return on equity of 10.77% and a net margin of 6.82%.The firm's revenue was up 21.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.77 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Nucor will post 12.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Insider Activity at Nucor

In other news, EVP Daniel R. Needham sold 3,881 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.00, for a total value of $690,818.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 88,298 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,717,044. This represents a 4.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Allen C. Behr sold 7,568 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.50, for a total transaction of $1,426,568.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 67,711 shares in the company, valued at $12,763,523.50. This trade represents a 10.05% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 26,401 shares of company stock worth $4,936,152. 0.62% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. bought a new position in Nucor in the third quarter valued at $1,528,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Nucor by 15,814.3% in the third quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 3,342 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $452,000 after buying an additional 3,321 shares in the last quarter. Allstate Corp bought a new position in Nucor during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,085,000. Peterson Wealth Services raised its stake in shares of Nucor by 587,032.0% during the third quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 146,783 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $19,879,000 after acquiring an additional 146,758 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in shares of Nucor by 11.1% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,103,000 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $342,642,000 after acquiring an additional 210,577 shares in the last quarter. 76.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Nucor News

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat — Nucor reported $3.23 EPS on $9.50B sales (both above estimates), citing higher volumes and pricing that drove margin recovery. Nucor Reports Results for the First Quarter of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Operational strength — Management highlighted record steel mill shipments and continued strategic investments (new projects and capacity) that support near‑term volume growth. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and targets — Multiple firms raised estimates and price targets (e.g., Jefferies and BMO lifted targets), supporting buy-side momentum. These Analysts Raise Their Forecasts On Nucor
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum flows — Market momentum metrics jumped (Benzinga Edge momentum ~91.7) after a 38% YTD gain and the upbeat quarter, which can attract trend-following and quant buying. Nucor Stock's Momentum Score Surges
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry tailwinds — Reports show long-term demand growth for steel (infrastructure, EVs, data centers), which supports sector fundamentals but is a medium/long-term factor. United Kingdom Steel Industry Report 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Megatrend-driven thesis — Analysts/commentators point to electrification and data center demand supporting Nucor, but note these are multi-quarter plays rather than immediate catalysts. Electrification And Data Center Megatrends
• Negative Sentiment: Rising input costs & policy risks — Management acknowledged higher energy costs and trade‑policy friction that could compress margins if sustained. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and valuation — Public filings and market commentary note material insider sales and views that the strong results are already priced in, leaving limited upside from current multiples. Investors Position Ahead of Earnings; Insider Activity Valuation Commentary

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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