Zacks Research Analysts Lift Earnings Estimates for Nucor

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for Nucor to $5.47 from $5.44 and kept a Strong-Buy rating on the stock.
• Several other analysts have also turned more bullish, with multiple higher price targets announced recently and MarketBeat showing an average rating of Moderate Buy with a $247.50 target price.
• Nucor recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, posting $3.23 EPS on $9.50 billion in revenue, and its board approved a $4 billion share repurchase plan.

Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE - Free Report) - Zacks Research lifted their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for Nucor in a report released on Friday, May 22nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings of $5.47 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $5.44. Zacks Research currently has a "Strong-Buy" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Nucor's current full-year earnings is $14.58 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor's Q2 2027 earnings at $5.74 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $5.73 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $5.46 EPS.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Nucor from $180.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Argus boosted their price objective on Nucor from $200.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Nucor from $213.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Nucor from $190.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Nucor from $196.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Nucor presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $247.50.

Nucor Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of NUE opened at $231.99 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 2.90. Nucor has a one year low of $106.21 and a one year high of $235.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $52.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.97, a PEG ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.87. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $196.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $177.78.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $3.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.82 by $0.41. Nucor had a return on equity of 10.68% and a net margin of 6.82%.The firm had revenue of $9.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.88 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.77 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 21.3% on a year-over-year basis.

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

Insider Activity at Nucor

In other news, EVP Allen C. Behr sold 10,096 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.08, for a total value of $2,282,503.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 62,871 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,213,875.68. This represents a 13.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Noah C. Hanners sold 6,472 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.50, for a total value of $1,465,908.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 50,377 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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. Insiders have sold a total of 71,818 shares of company stock valued at $16,234,593 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nucor

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of NUE. Stance Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nucor in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Strive Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nucor in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nucor in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Nucor by 49.2% in the 1st quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 191 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Nucor in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.48% of the company's stock.

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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