Zacks Research Weighs in on Nucor's Q4 Earnings (NYSE:NUE)

Key Points

• Zacks Research slightly reduced its Q4 2027 EPS estimate for Nucor to $2.40 from $2.41 while the consensus full‑year EPS is $7.64; the company missed last quarter's EPS ($1.73 vs. $1.91) and revenue ($7.69B vs. $7.93B).
• The Board approved a $4.0 billion share repurchase plan (up to 9.7% of shares) and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.56 per share (annualized $2.24, ~1.4% yield).
• Analysts' consensus is a Moderate Buy with a $187.90 target; shares traded around $164.51 (market cap ~$37.47B, P/E ~21.9) and insiders have recently reduced holdings.

Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q4 2027 earnings per share estimates for Nucor in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, March 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings of $2.40 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $2.41. The consensus estimate for Nucor's current full-year earnings is $7.64 per share.

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

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed 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. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Nucor in a report on Monday, December 29th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Nucor from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Nucor from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Nucor from $182.00 to $196.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $187.90.

Nucor Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of Nucor stock traded down $1.17 during trading on Friday, hitting $164.51. 35,649 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,759,918. The company has a current ratio of 2.94, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $177.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $158.35. The firm has a market cap of $37.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.83. Nucor has a 52-week low of $97.59 and a 52-week high of $196.90.

Nucor announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Friday, February 20th that allows the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the basic materials company to repurchase up to 9.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Nucor Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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 dividend yield of 1.4%. Nucor's payout ratio is 29.71%.

Insider Transactions at Nucor

In other Nucor news, EVP Thomas J. Batterbee sold 2,000 shares of Nucor stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.28, for a total transaction of $330,560.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 17,952 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,967,106.56. The trade was a 10.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel R. Needham sold 3,881 shares of Nucor stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 88,298 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,717,044. This trade represents a 4.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 34,351 shares of company stock worth $6,206,158 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nucor

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its position in Nucor by 21.1% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 3,266 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $393,000 after buying an additional 568 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Nucor during the first quarter worth about $259,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Nucor by 81.8% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 340 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Nucor during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $390,000. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Nucor in the second quarter valued at approximately $215,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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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