Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Upgraded by UBS Group to Buy Rating

UBS Group upgraded shares of Nucor (NYSE:NUE) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has $190.00 price objective on the basic materials company’s stock, up from their previous price objective of $184.00.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on NUE. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price target on shares of Nucor from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Nucor from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Seaport Research Partners increased their target price on shares of Nucor from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Nucor in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Nucor in a research report on Wednesday. They set a “sector weight” rating for the company. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $188.90.

Nucor Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NUE stock opened at $165.96 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $176.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $159.36. Nucor has a 12-month low of $97.59 and a 12-month high of $196.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 2.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market cap of $37.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.83.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The basic materials company reported $1.73 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.91 by ($0.18). The firm had revenue of $7.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.93 billion. Nucor had a net margin of 5.37% and a return on equity of 8.26%. Nucor’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.22 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Nucor will post 7.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Nucor declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Friday, February 20th that permits the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the basic materials company to repurchase up to 9.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Nucor Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 11th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a $0.56 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Nucor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.71%.

Insider Activity at Nucor

In other Nucor news, EVP Kenneth Rex Query sold 7,452 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.02, for a total value of $1,460,741.04. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 76,628 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,020,620.56. The trade was a 8.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Daniel R. Needham sold 3,881 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.00, for a total transaction of $690,818.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 88,298 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,717,044. This represents a 4.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 26,401 shares of company stock worth $4,936,152 in the last three months. 0.46% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Empirical Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Nucor by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Empirical Asset Management LLC now owns 2,130 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $347,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the period. Krilogy Financial LLC grew its holdings in Nucor by 4.1% in the fourth quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 1,531 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $272,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. IHT Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Nucor by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,306 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $539,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton raised its stake in Nucor by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 2,011 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $328,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. raised its stake in Nucor by 5.6% during the third quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 1,330 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $184,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.48% of the company’s stock.

Nucor News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS upgraded Nucor from Neutral to Buy and raised its price target to $190, calling the recent pullback an attractive entry point and signaling upside versus current levels. Nucor Was Just Upgraded to Buy by UBS With $190 Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Seaport Research reiterated its Buy rating and maintained a $185 price target after Nucor’s Q1 pre-announcement, noting improving profitability aligning with management commentary. Seaport Research Keeps $185 Target on Nucor (NUE), Flags Improving Profitability
• Neutral Sentiment: KeyCorp initiated coverage with a “sector weight” rating, adding institutional coverage but not changing the consensus directional view. KeyCorp Coverage Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry reports (Zacks) highlight mixed demand — softer Chinese activity but resilient non-residential construction and rising domestic steel prices — a backdrop that supports Nucor’s pricing power but keeps earnings visibility uneven. Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights Agnico ArcelorMittal, Nucor and Steel Dynamics
• Negative Sentiment: Nucor’s most recent quarterly report (Jan. 26) missed EPS ($1.73 vs. $1.91 expected) and revenue expectations, which can cap near-term upside until guidance clarity and margin trends improve.

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.