Nucor (NYSE:NUE) Hits New 1-Year High on Analyst Upgrade

Posted by Francis Steltz on May 15th, 2026

Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE – Get Free Report)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday after Argus raised their price target on the stock from $200.00 to $262.00. Argus currently has a buy rating on the stock. Nucor traded as high as $235.44 and last traded at $234.4190, with a volume of 256353 shares. The stock had previously closed at $229.83.

NUE has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Nucor from $213.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price target on shares of Nucor from $210.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Nucor from $180.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of Nucor from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Nucor from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $245.45.

View Our Latest Report on NUE

Insider Transactions at Nucor

In other news, EVP Allen C. Behr sold 10,096 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.08, for a total value of $2,282,503.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 62,871 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,213,875.68. This trade represents a 13.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Noah C. Hanners sold 6,472 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.50, for a total transaction of $1,465,908.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 50,377 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,410,390.50. The trade was a 11.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 69,318 shares of company stock worth $15,672,093. 0.62% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Nucor News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

Positive Sentiment: Argus raised its price target on Nucor to $262 from $200 and reiterated a buy rating, implying meaningful upside from current levels. Argus adjusts price target on Nucor to $262 from $200, maintains Buy rating
Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Nucor from hold to strong-buy, adding to the improving analyst sentiment around the stock. Zacks upgrade coverage
Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Nucor’s record Q1 shipments, firmer steel prices, improved margins, and guidance for higher consolidated earnings in Q2, reinforcing the company’s growth narrative. Should Record Q1 2026 Shipments and Higher Q2 Outlook Require Action From Nucor Investors?
Positive Sentiment: Another article noted that Nucor’s earnings beat was driven by strong steel prices and record shipments, with analysts pointing to continued momentum in the business. Evaluating Nucor (NUE) After Earnings Fueled By Strong Steel Prices And Record Shipments
Neutral Sentiment: Several newer valuation updates and model revisions suggest analysts are reassessing Nucor’s fair value higher, but views remain mixed across Wall Street. How The Nucor (NUE) Investment Story Is Shifting With New Analyst Views And Tariff News

Institutional Trading of Nucor

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NUE. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Nucor during the 4th quarter valued at about $609,002,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Nucor by 580.9% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 653,845 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $84,699,000 after purchasing an additional 557,819 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its stake in Nucor by 20.1% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,042,761 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $412,081,000 after purchasing an additional 509,019 shares in the last quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. increased its stake in Nucor by 169.0% during the 4th quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 779,940 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $127,216,000 after purchasing an additional 489,950 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Nucor by 27.5% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,780,423 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $290,405,000 after purchasing an additional 383,952 shares in the last quarter. 76.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Nucor Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $51.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.87. The company has a current ratio of 2.90, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $189.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $174.54.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $3.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.82 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $9.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.88 billion. Nucor had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 10.68%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 21.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.77 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Nucor Corporation will post 14.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Nucor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a $0.56 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Nucor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.18%.

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

Nucor Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.