Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Trading 7.2% Higher After Earnings Beat

Key Points

• Nucor shares rose 7.2% after the company reported quarterly EPS of $4.84, beating estimates by $0.38, while revenue reached $10.40 billion, up 23% year over year and above expectations.
• Higher steel prices, record mill shipments and stronger performance across key segments supported the results. Management expects higher consolidated earnings in the third quarter.
• Nucor declared a quarterly dividend of $0.56 per share, representing a 0.9% yield, and returned about $479 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, though the stock’s strong year-to-date gain and elevated valuation could increase downside sensitivity.

Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) shares were up 7.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $265.86 and last traded at $265.65. 324,880 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 1,611,558 shares. The stock had previously closed at $247.86.

The basic materials company reported $4.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.46 by $0.38. Nucor had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 10.68%. The company had revenue of $10.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.15 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.60 EPS. Nucor's revenue was up 23.0% on a year-over-year basis.

Nucor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 11th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.56 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Nucor's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.18%.

More Nucor News

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Nucor reported adjusted second-quarter earnings of $4.84 per share, above the $4.46 consensus estimate, while revenue of $10.40 billion exceeded expectations of $10.15 billion. Adjusted EPS nearly doubled from $2.60 a year earlier, and sales increased 23%. Nucor's Q2 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates on Higher Prices
• Positive Sentiment: Higher average selling prices and increased steel mill volumes drove the quarterly improvement. Record steel mill shipments and stronger performance in the steel mills, raw materials and steel products segments signal resilient demand and improved operating conditions. Nucor beats quarterly results on strong pricing, demand
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects higher consolidated reported earnings in the third quarter, suggesting momentum could continue as steel demand and pricing improve.
• Positive Sentiment: Nucor returned approximately $479 million to shareholders through dividends and repurchases, including 1.53 million shares bought at an average price of $228.76. The company also affirmed its regular cash dividend. Nucor Reports Results for the Second Quarter of 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research made only marginal increases to its forward EPS estimates and maintained a Hold rating, indicating that analysts see modestly better results but not a major change in long-term expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: NUE has already risen 46.32% year to date and trades above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Elevated expectations and a P/E near 24.5 could make the stock more sensitive to profit-taking if steel prices or demand weaken.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on NUE. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Nucor from $270.00 to $272.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Nucor from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Nucor from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Nucor from $260.00 to $284.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Nucor from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $266.31.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Nucor news, EVP John J. Hollatz sold 10,560 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $258.46, for a total transaction of $2,729,337.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 97,865 shares of the company's stock, valued at $25,294,187.90. This trade represents a 9.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Michael D. Keller sold 4,554 shares of Nucor stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.86, for a total transaction of $1,028,566.44. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 16,834 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,802,127.24. This trade represents a 21.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 82,378 shares of company stock valued at $18,963,930. Insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Nucor

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. RKL Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Nucor by 0.9% during the first quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,318 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $899,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. Focus Financial Network Inc. increased its stake in shares of Nucor by 3.6% during the second quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. now owns 1,417 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $316,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Empirical Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Nucor by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Empirical Asset Management LLC now owns 2,130 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $347,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Nucor by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 1,531 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $272,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moody National Bank Trust Division boosted its stake in Nucor by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 1,396 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $311,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.48% of the company's stock.

Nucor Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.90, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company has a 50 day moving average of $240.33 and a 200-day moving average of $204.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.91.

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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