Go Pro

Nucor (NUE) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Nucor logo
$257.34 -3.73 (-1.43%)
As of 01:31 PM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

Nucor - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
3
Buy
13

Based on 16 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Nucor in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 16 analysts, 3 have given a hold rating, and 13 have given a buy rating for NUE.

Consensus Price Target

$272.38
5.85% Upside
According to the 16 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Nucor, the average price target is $272.38. The highest price target for NUE is $295.00, while the lowest price target for NUE is $248.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 5.85% from the current price of $257.34.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
Get the Latest News and Ratings for NUE and Related Stocks

Enter your email address to receive the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nucor and its competitors.

Sign Up
SMS is currently available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. By entering your phone number and clicking the sign-up button, you agree to receive periodic text messages from MarketBeat at the phone number you submitted, including texts that may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary. Messages will consist of stock alerts, news stories, and partner advertisements/offers. Consent is not a condition of the purchase of any goods or services. Text HELP for help/customer support. Unsubscribe at any time by replying "STOP" to any text message that you receive from MarketBeat or by visiting our mailing preferences page. Read our full terms of service and privacy policy.

NUE Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
9/8/25 to 9/8/26
1 Month Ago
8/9/25 to 8/9/26
3 Months Ago
6/10/25 to 6/10/26
1 Year Ago
9/8/24 to 9/8/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
13 Buy rating(s)
12 Buy rating(s)
10 Buy rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
Hold
3 Hold rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
1 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$272.38$273.31$259.17$155.78
Forecasted Upside5.85% Upside0.15% Upside3.42% Upside8.21% Upside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy

NUE Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
Skip Chart & View Analyst Rating History

NUE Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Nucor Stock vs. The Competition

TypeNucorMaterials CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.81
2.56
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy
Predicted Upside4.37% Upside130.53% Upside14.04% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent NUE News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
8/25/2026
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
5 of 5 stars
 UpgradeHold (C+)Buy (B-)
8/24/2026
Timna Tanners
Timna Tanners
Not Rated
Lower TargetOverweight$297.00 ➝ $285.00+13.94%
7/29/2026
Katja Jancic
5 of 5 stars
Boost TargetOutperform$285.00 ➝ $295.00+11.88%
7/29/2026Reiterated RatingBuy
7/29/2026Boost TargetOverweight$272.00 ➝ $295.00+11.11%
7/29/2026Set Target$270.00+1.69%
7/28/2026Boost TargetNeutral$224.00 ➝ $256.00-3.30%
7/9/2026Lower TargetBuy$290.00 ➝ $280.00+23.44%
6/29/2026 DowngradeStrong-BuyHold
6/24/2026UpgradeSector WeightOverweight$274.00+14.45%
6/16/2026 Boost TargetBuy$260.00 ➝ $284.00+7.74%
6/10/2026Boost TargetOverweight$240.00 ➝ $282.00+10.14%
5/25/2026 Initiated CoverageOutperform
5/15/2026 Boost TargetBuy$200.00 ➝ $262.00+14.47%
5/4/2026 Boost TargetOutperform$210.00 ➝ $248.00+8.71%
4/28/2026 Boost TargetBuy$225.00 ➝ $250.00+12.11%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Tuesday at 01:32 PM ET.


Should I Buy Nucor Stock? NUE Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Saturday, September 5, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Nucor pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Nucor
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Nucor Co.:

  • Nucor Co. recently reported second-quarter earnings of $4.84 per share, significantly exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of $4.46, while revenue of $10.40 billion also beat expectations and grew 23.0% year-over-year, demonstrating strong operational momentum and pricing power in the steel market.
  • The company has raised its hot-rolled coil spot price for six consecutive weeks, totaling a $60 per short ton increase, and expects higher consolidated earnings in the third quarter of 2026 due to higher realized pricing across all major product categories, indicating a favorable near-term revenue environment.
  • Wall Street analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $272.38, which suggests potential upside from the current stock price of $260.98, reflecting institutional confidence in the company's ability to sustain its recent performance gains.
  • Nucor Co. maintains a strong balance sheet with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 2.51, providing financial flexibility to navigate market volatility and continue executing share repurchases, as evidenced by the purchase of approximately 1.53 million shares during the second quarter.
  • Institutional interest in the stock has increased, with 742 institutional investors adding shares to their portfolios in the most recent quarter, including significant new positions from firms like Nykredit A S and AlphaGrep UK Ltd, signaling broad market confidence in the company's long-term value proposition.

Nucor
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Nucor Co. for these reasons:

  • Insider selling activity has been consistent, with 28 sales and zero purchases recorded in the past six months, including recent transactions by executives such as Thomas J. Batterbee and Stephen D. Laxton, which may signal that company leadership is taking advantage of the current high stock price to reduce their personal exposure.
  • The stock carries a high beta of 1.87, meaning it is significantly more volatile than the overall market, and the recent price decline of 0.6% to $260.98 highlights the potential for sharp corrections that could erode investor returns during periods of market uncertainty.
  • Short interest in Nucor Co. remains elevated at 3,523,647 shares, representing approximately 1.56% of the float, indicating that a portion of the market is betting against the stock's future performance, which could create downward pressure on the share price if bearish sentiment intensifies.
  • Some analysts have recently downgraded their outlook, such as Zacks Research lowering its rating from "strong-buy" to "hold" in June 2026, suggesting that the current valuation may already reflect much of the positive news, leaving limited room for further upside without additional catalysts.
  • The company's dividend yield of 0.85% is relatively low compared to other industrial stocks, and with a payout ratio of 17.86%, investors seeking income may find the return on capital less attractive than alternatives that offer higher yields or more aggressive capital return strategies.

NUE Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 16 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Nucor is $272.38, with a high forecast of $295.00 and a low forecast of $248.00.

16 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Nucor in the last year. There are currently 3 hold ratings and 13 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" NUE shares.

According to analysts, Nucor's stock has a predicted upside of 5.85% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Nucor's stock had 2 upgrades and 1 downgrade by analysts.

Analysts like Nucor more than other "materials" companies. The consensus rating score for Nucor is 2.81 while the average consensus rating score for "materials" companies is 2.56. Learn more on how NUE compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Nucor analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 8/25/2026.
From Our Partners