Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of Nucor Q2 Earnings

Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) – Zacks Research boosted their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Nucor in a research note issued on Monday, July 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the basic materials company will post earnings of $4.78 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $4.77. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Nucor’s current full-year earnings is $17.53 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor’s FY2026 earnings at $18.32 EPS.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The basic materials company reported $4.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.46 by $0.38. The company had revenue of $10.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.15 billion. Nucor had a return on equity of 12.88% and a net margin of 7.99%.Nucor’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.60 EPS.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on NUE. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Nucor from $227.00 to $258.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Nucor from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Nucor from $292.00 to $283.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 18th. KeyCorp raised Nucor from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $274.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Nucor from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Nucor currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $268.77.

Nucor Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NUE opened at $265.51 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $60.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.17, a P/E/G ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.91. Nucor has a twelve month low of $131.32 and a twelve month high of $270.90. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $241.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $205.69. The company has a current ratio of 2.90, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

Nucor Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. Nucor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.86%.

Insider Activity

In other Nucor news, EVP John J. Hollatz sold 10,560 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $258.46, for a total value of $2,729,337.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 97,865 shares in the company, valued at $25,294,187.90. This represents a 9.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Noah C. Hanners sold 6,472 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.50, for a total transaction of $1,465,908.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 50,377 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,410,390.50. This trade represents a 11.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 82,378 shares of company stock worth $18,963,930 in the last ninety days. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nucor

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stance Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nucor during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Strive Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nucor in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in Nucor in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Nucor by 49.2% in the first quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 191 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Nucor during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.48% of the company’s stock.

Nucor News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings and revenue exceeded expectations. Nucor reported adjusted EPS of $4.84, above the roughly $4.46–$4.57 analyst estimates, while revenue reached $10.40 billion versus expectations of $10.15 billion. Adjusted earnings rose sharply from $2.60 per share a year earlier, and revenue increased 23%. Nucor Reports Results for the Second Quarter of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Steel-market fundamentals improved. Record steel mill shipments, stronger average selling prices, and resilient demand drove the earnings increase. Management credited favorable market conditions and aggressive tariffs with helping support domestic steel pricing. Nucor posts record steel shipments on higher pricing, strong demand
• Positive Sentiment: Outlook and shareholder returns were favorable. Nucor expects higher consolidated reported earnings in the third quarter. The company returned approximately $479 million through dividends and share repurchases and reaffirmed its regular cash dividend. Nucor Corp Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Estimates edged higher, but ratings remain cautious. Zacks Research raised its Q2 EPS estimate to $4.78 and its FY2026 estimate to $18.32, above the $17.53 consensus, but maintained a “Hold” rating. Nucor analyst estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks could limit further gains. UBS raised its price target to $256 but kept a neutral rating, placing the target below the current trading level. Nucor also cited increased imports and startup costs as ongoing challenges. UBS raises Nucor price target

Nucor Company Profile

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.