Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Nucor (NYSE:NUE) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday morning.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Nucor from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Nucor from $213.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group downgraded Nucor from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $190.00 to $224.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Citigroup increased their price objective on Nucor from $180.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Nucor from $180.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $245.45.

Nucor Trading Down 2.6%

Shares of NUE stock opened at $226.78 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $190.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $174.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.90 and a quick ratio of 1.55. Nucor has a 1 year low of $106.21 and a 1 year high of $235.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.45, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.87.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last issued its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $3.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.82 by $0.41. Nucor had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 10.68%. The business had revenue of $9.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.88 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.77 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Nucor will post 14.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Nucor announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Friday, February 20th that allows the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the basic materials company to buy up to 9.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Nucor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were given a $0.56 dividend. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. Nucor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.18%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Michael D. Keller sold 4,554 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.86, for a total value of $1,028,566.44. Following the transaction, the insider owned 16,834 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,802,127.24. This represents a 21.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.50, for a total value of $1,465,908.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 50,377 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,410,390.50. This represents a 11.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 69,318 shares of company stock valued at $15,672,093 in the last ninety days. 0.62% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stance Capital LLC bought a new position in Nucor in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new position in Nucor in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new position in Nucor in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC increased its stake 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 acquiring an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Nucor in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Institutional investors own 76.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Nucor News

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Argus raised its price target on Nucor to $262 from $200 and reiterated a Buy rating, implying meaningful upside from the current share price. Argus adjusts price target on Nucor to 262 from 200, maintains buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Nucor from Hold to Strong Buy, adding to the bullish analyst sentiment around the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Nucor’s strong first quarter, with record shipments, higher steel selling prices, improved metal margins, and management guidance for higher consolidated earnings in Q2. Should Record Q1 2026 Shipments and Higher Q2 Outlook Require Action From Nucor (NUE) Investors?
• Positive Sentiment: Another earnings-focused analysis said Nucor’s latest quarter was driven by stronger steel prices and record shipments, reinforcing the view that profits and sales momentum remain solid. Evaluating Nucor (NUE) After Earnings Fueled By Strong Steel Prices And Record Shipments
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader sector headlines were mixed: National Steel reported a Q1 earnings miss due to softer steel demand, imports, and weather-related pressure, which could temper enthusiasm for the steel group overall. National Steel Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates on Softer Steel Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst debate continues around tariff effects, profitability, and Nucor’s growth projects, but the revised fair-value estimates suggest expectations are trending higher overall. How The Nucor (NUE) Investment Story Is Shifting With New Analyst Views And Tariff News

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.