Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Upgraded to “Strong-Buy” at Zacks Research

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Zacks reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor’s Q3 2026 earnings at $5.61 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $6.84 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $5.13 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $4.20 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $19.44 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $6.05 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $21.21 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Nucor from $308.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 9th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Nucor from $224.00 to $256.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. KeyCorp dropped their target price on shares of Nucor from $288.00 to $286.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Nucor from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Nucor from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Nucor currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $276.07.

Nucor Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NUE opened at $256.97 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $254.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $237.25. Nucor has a twelve month low of $131.32 and a twelve month high of $280.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.49, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The basic materials company reported $4.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.46 by $0.38. The firm had revenue of $10.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.15 billion. Nucor had a return on equity of 12.73% and a net margin of 7.99%. The company’s revenue was up 23.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.60 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Nucor will post 19.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Thomas Batterbee sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.02, for a total value of $1,044,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,138 shares in the company, valued at $4,212,340.76. The trade was a 19.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Stephen Laxton sold 3,968 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $256.96, for a total value of $1,019,617.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 77,867 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,008,704.32. This represents a 4.85% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nucor

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Nucor in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Nucor in the second quarter worth $27,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in Nucor during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. GK Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Nucor during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Markowski Investments purchased a new stake in Nucor during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. 76.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Nucor

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Nucor plans to invest $105 million to expand its Nucor Towers & Structures facility in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The project will add more than 120,000 square feet of automated manufacturing capacity and create 100 jobs, positioning the company to benefit from rising U.S. electricity transmission and distribution spending. Does Nucor’s US$105 Million Grid Investment Shift The Bull Case For NUE Toward Higher-Value Steel?
• Positive Sentiment: The Indiana expansion strengthens Nucor’s exposure to higher-value utility poles and related structural products rather than relying solely on traditional steel markets. Advanced automation could improve production efficiency and margins as grid investment accelerates. What Does Nucor Indiana Utility Pole Expansion Mean For Grid Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Nucor EPS forecasts for fourth-quarter 2026 to $6.84 from $4.81, fourth-quarter 2027 to $4.20 from $3.50, and full-year 2027 to $19.44 from $18.83. These revisions provide a more constructive earnings backdrop, despite the firm retaining a “Hold” rating.
• Positive Sentiment: NUE was included in Zacks’ October 14 Strong Buy lists for both momentum and value stocks, reinforcing the stock’s favorable technical performance and valuation profile. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for October 14th
• Neutral Sentiment: Nucor is scheduled to discuss its third-quarter 2026 results on an upcoming conference call, which could provide additional guidance on steel pricing, margins and demand. Nucor Invites You to Join Its Third Quarter of 2026 Conference Call
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered some longer-term quarterly EPS estimates, including third-quarter 2026 to $5.61 from $5.90 and third-quarter 2027 to $5.13 from $5.23. The cuts suggest that steel-market cyclicality and margin pressure remain risks.

Nucor Company Profile

Nucor Corporation is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based steel producer and one of the largest steel companies in North America. The company operates electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mills that use recycled scrap steel as a primary raw material, along with facilities that manufacture and process steel products for construction, manufacturing, transportation, energy and other industrial markets.

Nucor’s product portfolio includes carbon and alloy steel in sheet, plate, bar and structural forms, as well as reinforcing steel, wire and wire mesh.