Nucor Corporation (NUE) AI Stock Analysis

Nucor Corporation is a manufacturer and distributor of steel and steel products operating across three core segments. The Steel Mills segment manufactures hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized sheets, plate steel, beams, and bar steel, alongside steel trading and rebar distribution operations serving the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Steel Products segment produces construction materials such as steel tubing, electrical conduits, steel racking, fabricated reinforcing steel, metal building systems, and wire products for nonresidential construction. The Raw Materials segment produces direct reduced iron and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal to support steelmaking operations and external industrial clients.

Nucor's revenue grew at a 5-year CAGR of 10.0% from FY2020 through FY2025. After peaking at $41.51B in FY2022, annual revenue dropped to $34.71B in FY2023 and $30.73B in FY2024 before increasing 5.7% to $32.49B in FY2025. Net income narrowed from $7.61B in FY2022 to $1.74B in FY2025, leaving FY2025 net margin at 5.4% and EPS at $7.78. Performance accelerated sharply in the latest quarter ending June 30, 2026, where quarterly revenue grew 23.0% year-over-year and quarterly earnings grew 93.8%. Over the trailing twelve months, revenue reached $36.10B with an operating margin of 15.7% and EPS of $12.54.

As of June 30, 2026, Nucor held $2.69B in cash and short-term investments against total debt of $7.10B, yielding net debt of $4.41B. The balance sheet carries a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 2.51, supported by $22.11B in shareholders' equity. In FY2025, operating cash flow stood at $3.23B while capital expenditures totaled $3.42B, resulting in free cash flow of -$188.0M. Capital allocation in FY2025 included $700.0M for share buybacks and $512.0M for dividends paid, following an 18.7% reduction in share count over five years.

Nucor trades at a trailing P/E of 20.4x and a forward P/E of 11.4x, lower than the median of its S&P 500 Basic Materials peers at 32.2x and 15.3x, respectively. Its enterprise value stands at $60.44B, representing an EV-to-EBITDA of 10.5x, which compares to the peer median of 14.9x. The company's price-to-sales of 1.6x also sits below the peer median of 2.5x. Over the past year, Nucor shares gained 95.5%, outperforming the S&P 500 (SPY) return of 16.8%, and its 5-year return of 170.8% outpaced SPY's 83.0%.

Nucor has paid consecutive dividends for 44 years. The stock offers a forward annual dividend of $2.24 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 0.87% and a payout ratio of 18.0%. Over the past five years, dividend growth compounded at an annualized rate of 6.5%. The last ex-dividend date was September 30, 2026.

Wall Street coverage includes 10 Strong Buy, 3 Buy, 3 Hold, and 1 Strong Sell ratings. The mean price target of $284.31 represents 10.9% upside compared to the last close of $256.29. Analysts project full-year EPS of $19.49 on revenue of $40.52B for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, implying 152.8% EPS growth. Nucor has exceeded quarterly EPS expectations in 3 of the last 4 quarters, with its next earnings release scheduled for October 26, 2026.

This page is an AI-written research summary of Nucor Corporation (NUE). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.

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