Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor’s Q2 2026 earnings at $5.44 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $4.70 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $3.69 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $17.06 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $4.79 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.71 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $5.43 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $5.15 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $21.07 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $4.66 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $20.41 EPS.

NUE has been the topic of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Nucor from $212.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Nucor from $190.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Nucor from $213.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Nucor from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $243.80.

Nucor Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:NUE opened at $232.47 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $188.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.88. Nucor has a 52 week low of $106.21 and a 52 week high of $235.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $52.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.02, a PEG ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.87.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $3.23 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 firm had revenue of $9.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.88 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.77 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Nucor will post 14.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Nucor declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Friday, February 20th that authorizes the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the basic materials company to repurchase up to 9.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Bradley Ford sold 2,240 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.13, for a total value of $519,971.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 43,649 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,132,242.37. The trade was a 4.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Noah C. Hanners sold 6,472 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.50, for a total value of $1,465,908.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 50,377 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,410,390.50. This trade represents a 11.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 69,318 shares of company stock worth $15,672,093. Insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Nucor

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Stance Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Nucor in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Strive Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Nucor during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nucor in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Nucor by 49.2% during the 1st quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 191 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Nucor during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. 76.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Nucor News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added Nucor to its Rank #1 (Strong Buy) list, which can attract momentum-oriented investors and signal improving near-term sentiment. New Strong Buy Stocks for May 13th
• Positive Sentiment: Several Zacks Research estimate revisions raised Nucor’s projected earnings across multiple future periods, including FY2026, FY2027, and FY2028, suggesting analysts see stronger profitability ahead. Why Nucor (NUE) Might be Well Poised for a Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also included NUE in its “Best Momentum Stocks to Buy” list and highlighted that the stock has been gaining, reinforcing the bullish technical and sentiment backdrop. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for May 13th
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage also noted that Nucor has risen modestly over the past week, but the move appears more tied to analyst upgrades than to a company-specific operating announcement. Nucor (NUE) Is Up 0.65% in One Week: What You Should Know

About Nucor

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.