Wall Street Zen Upgrades Nucor (NYSE:NUE) to "Strong-Buy"

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Nucor from Buy to Strong-Buy, adding to an increasingly bullish analyst outlook on the steel maker.
• Nucor recently beat expectations in its latest quarterly results, posting $3.23 EPS versus the $2.82 estimate and $9.50 billion in revenue, up 21.3% year over year.
• The company’s board authorized a $4.0 billion stock buyback, while institutional ownership remains high at 76.48%, signaling continued investor confidence.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on NUE. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Nucor from $180.00 to $227.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of Nucor in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. They issued a "sector weight" rating on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Nucor from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Nucor from $180.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Nucor from $212.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Nucor presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $245.45.

Nucor Stock Performance

NYSE NUE opened at $226.78 on Friday. Nucor has a twelve month low of $106.21 and a twelve month high of $235.45. 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 stock has a market cap of $51.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.45, a PEG ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.87. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $190.48 and its 200 day simple moving average is $174.91.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $3.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 the consensus estimate of $8.88 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.77 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 21.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Nucor will post 14.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Nucor declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Friday, February 20th that authorizes the company to buyback $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the basic materials company to reacquire up to 9.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Bradley Ford sold 2,240 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.13, for a total transaction of $519,971.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 43,649 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,132,242.37. This represents a 4.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Noah C. Hanners sold 6,472 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.50, for a total transaction of $1,465,908.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 50,377 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,410,390.50. This trade represents a 11.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 69,318 shares of company stock worth $15,672,093. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nucor

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nucor during the first quarter valued at $212,000. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp increased its position in Nucor by 66.3% in the first quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 16,940 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,865,000 after purchasing an additional 6,756 shares during the period. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA raised its holdings in Nucor by 44.6% during the 1st quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA now owns 16,200 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,739,000 after purchasing an additional 5,000 shares during the last quarter. Morningstar Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Nucor during the 1st quarter worth about $1,056,000. Finally, Compound Planning Inc. lifted its position in Nucor by 9.2% during the 1st quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 5,096 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $862,000 after purchasing an additional 428 shares during the period. 76.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Nucor

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Argus raised its price target on Nucor to $262 from $200 and reiterated a Buy rating, implying meaningful upside from the current share price. Argus adjusts price target on Nucor to 262 from 200, maintains buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Nucor from Hold to Strong Buy, adding to the bullish analyst sentiment around the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Nucor’s strong first quarter, with record shipments, higher steel selling prices, improved metal margins, and management guidance for higher consolidated earnings in Q2. Should Record Q1 2026 Shipments and Higher Q2 Outlook Require Action From Nucor (NUE) Investors?
• Positive Sentiment: Another earnings-focused analysis said Nucor’s latest quarter was driven by stronger steel prices and record shipments, reinforcing the view that profits and sales momentum remain solid. Evaluating Nucor (NUE) After Earnings Fueled By Strong Steel Prices And Record Shipments
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader sector headlines were mixed: National Steel reported a Q1 earnings miss due to softer steel demand, imports, and weather-related pressure, which could temper enthusiasm for the steel group overall. National Steel Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates on Softer Steel Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst debate continues around tariff effects, profitability, and Nucor’s growth projects, but the revised fair-value estimates suggest expectations are trending higher overall. How The Nucor (NUE) Investment Story Is Shifting With New Analyst Views And Tariff News

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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