Zacks Research Analysts Reduce Earnings Estimates for Nucor

Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research cut their Q3 2026 earnings estimates for Nucor in a report issued on Tuesday, September 8th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the basic materials company will earn $5.90 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $5.95. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Nucor’s current full-year earnings is $17.95 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor’s Q4 2026 earnings at $4.81 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $5.55 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $20.40 EPS.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on NUE. Seaport Research Partners upped their price objective on Nucor from $245.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Nucor from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Nucor from $272.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Nucor from $294.00 to $308.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Nucor in a research note on Monday, May 25th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $274.38.

Nucor Price Performance

Nucor stock opened at $257.99 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $250.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $223.20. Nucor has a 12 month low of $131.32 and a 12 month high of $280.11. The company has a market capitalization of $58.53 billion, a PE ratio of 20.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.87. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. Nucor had a return on equity of 12.73% and a net margin of 7.99%.The company had revenue of $10.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.60 EPS. Nucor’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.0% on a year-over-year basis.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of NUE. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its stake in Nucor by 23,029.6% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 61,424,649 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $13,682,341,000 after acquiring an additional 61,159,082 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Nucor in the second quarter valued at $4,452,563,000. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in Nucor by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,853,205 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $628,497,000 after purchasing an additional 41,728 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Nucor during the fourth quarter worth $609,002,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Nucor by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,539,044 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $429,298,000 after purchasing an additional 22,718 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Thomas J. Batterbee sold 4,000 shares of the company’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 transaction of $1,044,080.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,138 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,212,340.76. This represents a 19.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, COO Stephen D. Laxton sold 3,968 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $256.96, for a total transaction of $1,019,617.28. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 77,867 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,008,704.32. The trade was a 4.85% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Nucor

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on Nucor from $294 to $308 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying approximately 19.4% upside from the referenced $257.99 price. The target increase signals greater confidence in Nucor’s earnings outlook and industry positioning. JPMorgan raises Nucor price target
• Positive Sentiment: Nucor has outperformed major steel-industry peers over the past year, while Wall Street sentiment remains broadly bullish. Investors may view the relative strength as evidence of better execution and resilience compared with competitors. How Is Nucor’s Stock Performance Compared to Other Steel Stocks
• Positive Sentiment: Higher steel prices could help offset softer demand. Zacks identified Nucor among the producers best positioned to navigate sluggish Chinese activity and muted demand in some end markets, alongside ArcelorMittal, Steel Dynamics and L.B. Foster. Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights ArcelorMittal, Nucor, Steel Dynamics and L.B. Foster
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks Research lowered their 2027 EPS forecasts for each quarter and for the full year, reducing the FY2027 estimate from $19.15 to $18.83. Zacks kept a “Hold” rating, suggesting the revisions reflect caution rather than a fundamental change in its overall view.
• Negative Sentiment: Industry conditions remain challenging. Weakness in China and subdued demand in key markets could pressure steel volumes, pricing and margins, creating a headwind despite Nucor’s stronger performance relative to peers. 4 Steel Producer Stocks to Watch Amid Industry Challenges

About Nucor

Nucor Corporation is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based steel and steel products company. It manufactures carbon, alloy and stainless steel products, including sheet, plate, bar, structural steel, rail, wire rod, rebar and merchant bar. The company also produces steel joists, deck, beams, piling, wire products, fasteners, grating, metal building systems and other fabricated steel products.

Nucor operates an integrated network of electric arc furnace steel mills, recycling facilities and downstream manufacturing operations.