What is Zacks Research’s Estimate for Nucor Q1 Earnings?

Nucor Co. (NYSE:NUE) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for Nucor in a report released on Monday, March 10th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now forecasts that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $2.63 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $2.62. The consensus estimate for Nucor’s current full-year earnings is $7.64 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor’s Q2 2026 earnings at $3.20 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.56 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $10.97 EPS.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 27th. The basic materials company reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.28. Nucor had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 9.85%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.16 EPS.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $156.00 price objective (down previously from $171.00) on shares of Nucor in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Nucor from $154.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Nucor from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Nucor from $240.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Nucor from $150.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $164.33.

Nucor Stock Performance

NUE opened at $131.21 on Thursday. Nucor has a 1-year low of $112.25 and a 1-year high of $203.00. The company has a market cap of $30.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.60, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $129.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $138.76.

Nucor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.68%. Nucor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.16%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nucor

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Nucor by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 11,427,899 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,724,117,000 after buying an additional 326,181 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Nucor by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,967,254 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $701,255,000 after purchasing an additional 105,309 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Nucor by 19.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 3,456,484 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $519,648,000 after acquiring an additional 571,682 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Nucor in the fourth quarter valued at about $398,077,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Nucor by 18.7% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,435,265 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $284,220,000 after acquiring an additional 384,205 shares during the period. 76.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Nucor Company Profile

Nucor Corporation engages in manufacture and sale of steel and steel products. It operates in three segments: steel mills, steel products, and raw materials. The Steel Mills segment produces hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized sheet steel products; plate steel products; wide-flange beams, beam blanks, and H-piling and sheet piling structural steel products; bar steel products, such as blooms, billets, concrete reinforcing and merchant bars, and engineered special bar quality products; and engages in the steel trading and rebar distribution businesses.