Equities Analysts Set Expectations for Nucor Q3 Earnings

Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for Nucor in a note issued to investors on Monday, August 10th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will earn $5.95 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $5.62. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Nucor’s current full-year earnings is $18.02 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor’s Q2 2027 earnings at $5.22 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.58 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $19.15 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $4.51 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $5.32 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $20.11 EPS.

NUE has been the subject of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Nucor from $240.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Nucor in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Nucor from $283.00 to $297.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen raised Nucor from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane increased their target price on Nucor from $210.00 to $248.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $273.31.

Nucor Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NUE opened at $272.31 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $62.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.72, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.89. Nucor has a 52 week low of $131.32 and a 52 week high of $280.11. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $246.40 and its 200 day moving average price is $212.41. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The basic materials company reported $4.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.46 by $0.38. The business had revenue of $10.40 billion during 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 business’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.60 earnings per share.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nucor

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NUE. Stance Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nucor during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Strive Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Nucor in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in Nucor during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Nucor during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Nucor by 49.2% during the first quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 191 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Nucor news, EVP Randy J. Spicer sold 2,500 shares of the business’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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,510 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,614,750. The trade was a 10.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Thomas J. Batterbee sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,138 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,212,340.76. This represents a 19.86% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 21,028 shares of company stock worth $5,355,535. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Nucor Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 11th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were given a $0.56 dividend. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. Nucor’s payout ratio is currently 17.86%.

More Nucor News

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Nucor EPS forecasts for Q3 2026 to $5.95 from $5.62 and Q4 2026 to $5.06 from $4.68, suggesting expectations for near-term earnings remain resilient. However, the firm maintained a “Hold” rating. Nucor analyst estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: A separate analyst roundup found a consensus “Moderate Buy” recommendation for Nucor, indicating that Wall Street sentiment remains generally favorable despite valuation and cyclical concerns. Nucor receives Moderate Buy consensus
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry research projects the global direct reduced iron market will grow from approximately $46.8 billion in 2024 to $96.4 billion by 2034. The long-term expansion of lower-carbon steelmaking could support industry opportunities, although the report does not identify a direct financial benefit for Nucor. Global direct reduced iron market outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut multiple future EPS forecasts: FY2027 to $19.15 from $23.08, FY2028 to $20.11 from $23.38, Q4 2027 to $3.58 from $5.69, Q1 2028 to $4.51 from $5.51, Q2 2028 to $5.32 from $5.84, and Q2 2027 to $5.22 from $5.81. These reductions point to expectations for weaker profitability later in the cycle. Zacks lowers Nucor earnings estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary is examining whether Nucor can withstand softer sheet-steel pricing, a potential threat to selling prices and margins if steel demand or pricing weakens. Nucor and softer sheet steel pricing

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.