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Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Outlook of Nucor Q2 Earnings

Nucor logo with Basic Materials background
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Key Points

  • Zacks Research trimmed its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for Nucor to $3.19 from $3.24 and cut several near-term forecasts, signaling a more pessimistic outlook and greater uncertainty for FY2027 earnings.
  • Nucor recently missed quarterly expectations (Q1 EPS $1.73 vs. $1.91 consensus; revenue $7.69B vs. $7.93B) but announced a $4.0 billion share buyback authorization and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.56 per share.
  • Analyst sentiment remains mixed-to-positive as several firms raised ratings/price targets (Jefferies $225, Goldman $210, UBS upgrade), leaving a consensus Moderate Buy with an average price target near $192.80.
  • MarketBeat previews top five stocks to own in June.

Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research lowered their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Nucor in a report issued on Thursday, April 9th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will earn $3.19 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $3.24. The consensus estimate for Nucor's current full-year earnings is $7.64 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor's Q2 2027 earnings at $3.79 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.44 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at $3.50 EPS.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The basic materials company reported $1.73 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.91 by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $7.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.93 billion. Nucor had a return on equity of 8.26% and a net margin of 5.37%.The firm's revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.22 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on NUE. UBS Group upgraded shares of Nucor from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $184.00 to $190.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Nucor in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $210.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Nucor from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Nucor from $200.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $180.00 price objective (up from $165.00) on shares of Nucor in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Nucor presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $192.80.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Nucor

Nucor Stock Up 0.0%

NYSE:NUE opened at $186.19 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.69, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.73. Nucor has a 1-year low of $105.92 and a 1-year high of $196.90. The company's fifty day moving average price is $175.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $162.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 2.94 and a quick ratio of 1.57.

Nucor Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.56 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Nucor's dividend payout ratio is 29.71%.

Nucor declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback plan 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 purchase up to 9.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Daniel R. Needham sold 3,881 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 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 is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kenneth Rex Query sold 7,452 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.02, for a total transaction of $1,460,741.04. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 76,628 shares in the company, valued at $15,020,620.56. This trade represents a 8.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 26,401 shares of company stock valued at $4,936,152. Corporate insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Nucor

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Empirical Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Nucor by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Empirical Asset Management LLC now owns 2,130 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $347,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Nucor by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 1,531 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $272,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Nucor by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,306 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $539,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton lifted its holdings in Nucor by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 2,011 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $328,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. lifted its holdings in Nucor by 5.6% during the third quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 1,330 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $184,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. 76.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Nucor News

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target on Nucor to $225 (from $200) and reiterated a Buy rating — signaling roughly 20% upside from recent levels and likely supporting bullish investor flows. Jefferies price-target raise
  • Neutral Sentiment: Nucor reiterated first-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.70–$2.80 versus a consensus of $2.76 — essentially in line but leaving little margin for upside relative to expectations. This keeps near-term results tightly scrutinized by the market.
  • Neutral Sentiment: Media/features: A Motley Fool article highlights Nucor’s investment case and long-term strengths (management, cash flow, steel market exposure). These pieces can support longer-term interest but are less likely to move the stock intraday. Fool feature
  • Neutral Sentiment: A separate press release from a small Calgary energy company using the ticker NUE (NU E Power Corp.) is unrelated to Nucor but can cause ticker-search noise; investors should confirm NYSE:NUE references. NU E Power website launch
  • Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research issued multiple estimate revisions: it trimmed several near-term quarterly EPS forecasts (Q1 2026, Q1 2027, Q3 2026/Q3 2027 and FY2027) while raising FY2026 and FY2028 projections and lifting Q4 2026 — an overall mixed-but-tilted-downward revision for FY2027. The net effect increases uncertainty on multi-quarter demand and near-term earnings, which could cap upside despite the price-target lift.

Nucor Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

See Also

Earnings History and Estimates for Nucor (NYSE:NUE)

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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