Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ:STLD) Sets New 12-Month High After Earnings Beat

Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $185.56 and last traded at $173.32, with a volume of 2190687 shares. The stock had previously closed at $181.32.

The basic materials company reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.72 by $0.10. Steel Dynamics had a return on equity of 12.89% and a net margin of 6.39%.The company had revenue of $4.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.36 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 14.0% compared to the same quarter last year.

Steel Dynamics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. Steel Dynamics’s payout ratio is currently 26.49%.

Key Steel Dynamics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Steel Dynamics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: EPS beat and margin strength — Q4 EPS topped estimates and margins held up due to lower scrap costs, driving better-than-expected profitability despite revenue miss. Steel Dynamics STLD Q4 2025 Earnings Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Record shipments and demand mix — management reported record steel shipments and expanding end-market demand (data centers, automotive for aluminum), supporting revenue growth and future EBITDA contribution from aluminum. Steel Dynamics Smashes 52-Week High On Record Steel Shipments
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns intact — management reiterated a strong capital-return framework (share buybacks and annual dividend growth), which supports shareholder value even if near-term top-line softness persists. Steel Dynamics Reinforces Outlook: Higher Highs Coming
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue miss and guidance stance — revenue came in below Street estimates and management did not give explicit 2026 guidance, creating uncertainty about the pace of recovery in pricing/demand. Steel Dynamics (STLD) Beats Q4 2025 EPS Estimates but Revenue Misses
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/analyst optimism vs. concentration risk — some analysts/technical setups point to higher targets, but institutional ownership is high and recent distributions could mute upside. Steel Dynamics Reinforces Outlook: Higher Highs Coming
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and free-cash-flow scrutiny — commentary and analysis flagged that free cash flow may be inflecting but valuation already looks full, which can limit multiple expansion and make the stock sensitive to any execution misses. Steel Dynamics: Free Cash Flow Inflecting, But Valuation Is Full
• Negative Sentiment: Rising short interest and temporary leverage from aluminum build — the company took on incremental debt for the aluminum expansion and short interest has increased, creating downside pressure if near-term results disappoint. Steel Dynamics Reinforces Outlook: Higher Highs Coming

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

STLD has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group set a $165.00 price objective on shares of Steel Dynamics in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $194.00 price target (up previously from $173.00) on shares of Steel Dynamics in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Steel Dynamics from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Steel Dynamics from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $190.00 target price on shares of Steel Dynamics in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Steel Dynamics currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $182.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Steel Dynamics

In related news, SVP Miguel Alvarez sold 8,251 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.79, for a total transaction of $1,343,180.29. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 117,068 shares in the company, valued at $19,057,499.72. This represents a 6.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 6.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of STLD. Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Steel Dynamics by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 8,462 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,434,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares during the period. Wright Investors Service Inc. raised its stake in Steel Dynamics by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Wright Investors Service Inc. now owns 5,555 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $941,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Steel Dynamics by 18.3% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 25,536 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $4,327,000 after purchasing an additional 3,942 shares during the period. Childress Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Steel Dynamics in the 4th quarter worth $202,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Steel Dynamics by 29.0% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 5,981 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,014,000 after purchasing an additional 1,343 shares during the period. 82.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Steel Dynamics Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.47, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $170.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $149.38. The firm has a market cap of $25.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.48.

Steel Dynamics Company Profile

Steel Dynamics, Inc is a U.S.-based, diversified steel producer and metals recycler that operates an integrated network of mini-mills, finishing lines and fabrication facilities. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the company manufactures a broad range of steel products and provides downstream processing, coating and fabrication services to industrial customers. Its operations combine steelmaking using electric-arc furnaces with extensive metals recycling capabilities, allowing Steel Dynamics to convert scrap ferrous and nonferrous materials into finished steel products.

The company’s product portfolio includes flat-rolled steel (coiled and sheet products), structural steel and fabricated components, along with coated and painted steel used in consumer, industrial and construction applications.