Zacks Research Weighs in on Nucor’s Q2 Earnings (NYSE:NUE)

Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) – Research analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q2 2027 EPS estimates for shares of Nucor in a note issued to investors on Monday, July 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the basic materials company will earn $5.81 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $5.80. Zacks Research 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 Q2 2028 earnings at $5.84 EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on NUE. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Nucor from $260.00 to $284.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. KeyCorp upgraded Nucor from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $274.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Nucor from $227.00 to $258.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Argus upped their target price on Nucor from $200.00 to $262.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, CICC Research began coverage on Nucor in a research note on Monday, May 25th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $266.31.

Nucor Stock Performance

Nucor stock opened at $247.35 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.90, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $56.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.49, a P/E/G ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.91. Nucor has a 1-year low of $131.32 and a 1-year high of $270.90. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $240.33 and a 200-day moving average of $204.98.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The basic materials company reported $4.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.46 by $0.38. Nucor had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 10.68%. The firm had revenue of $10.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.15 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.60 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.0% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Nucor during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Stance Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Nucor during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Nucor by 49.2% during 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. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Nucor during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nucor in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 76.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Nucor

In related news, EVP Randy J. Spicer sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.00, for a total value of $562,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,510 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,614,750. This represents a 10.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP John J. Hollatz sold 10,560 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,294,187.90. This trade represents a 9.74% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 82,378 shares of company stock valued at $18,963,930 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Nucor Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.56 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Nucor’s payout ratio is currently 22.18%.

Key Headlines Impacting Nucor

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings and revenue exceeded expectations. Nucor posted adjusted earnings of $4.84 per diluted share, above the $4.46 analyst consensus, while net sales of $10.40 billion surpassed estimates of $10.15 billion. Headline earnings were $5.04 per share, including a $0.20-per-share non-cash benefit. Nucor Reports Results for the Second Quarter of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Results improved sharply from both comparison periods. Net earnings rose to $1.16 billion from $743 million in the first quarter and $603 million a year earlier. Nucor attributed the sequential improvement primarily to higher average selling prices and increased volumes in its steel mills segment. Nucor Q2 earnings rise to $1.16 billion on $10.40 billion sales
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects further year-over-year improvement. Nucor forecast higher consolidated reported earnings in the third quarter, providing investors with a favorable near-term outlook. The company also returned approximately $479 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases and repurchased 1.53 million shares during the quarter. Nucor Reports Results for the Second Quarter of 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Nucor ended the quarter with $2.69 billion in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, supporting financial flexibility and continued shareholder returns. EBITDA was $2.02 billion.
• Negative Sentiment: The earnings beat may have been largely anticipated. Nucor shares have traded near their 52-week high and above their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, while the stock carries a P/E ratio of about 24.5. That elevated valuation may limit additional upside unless steel prices, volumes, and third-quarter results continue to outperform expectations.

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.