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

Posted by George Bondi on Oct 15th, 2026

Nucor (NYSE:NUE – Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nucor’s Q3 2026 earnings at $5.61 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $6.84 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $5.13 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $4.20 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $19.44 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $6.05 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $21.21 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Nucor in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Nucor from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Nucor from $272.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Nucor from $308.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Nucor from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Nucor has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $276.07.

Read Our Latest Research Report on Nucor

Nucor Stock Performance

NUE opened at $256.97 on Tuesday. Nucor has a 12-month low of $131.32 and a 12-month high of $280.11. The stock has a market cap of $58.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.49, a PEG ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.84. The business has a 50 day moving average of $254.39 and a 200-day moving average of $237.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The basic materials company reported $4.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.46 by $0.38. Nucor had a return on equity of 12.73% and a net margin of 7.99%. The company had revenue of $10.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.15 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.60 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Nucor will post 19.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, COO Stephen D. Laxton sold 3,968 shares of Nucor stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $256.96, for a total value of $1,019,617.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 77,867 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,008,704.32. The trade was a 4.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Thomas J. Batterbee sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.02, for a total value of $1,044,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,138 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,212,340.76. This trade represents a 19.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nucor

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NUE. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nucor in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. GK Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nucor during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nucor during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc acquired a new position in Nucor during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Markowski Investments acquired a new position in Nucor during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 76.48% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Nucor

Here are the key news stories impacting Nucor this week:

Positive Sentiment: Nucor plans to invest $105 million to expand its Nucor Towers & Structures facility in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The project will add more than 120,000 square feet of automated manufacturing capacity and create 100 jobs, positioning the company to benefit from rising U.S. electricity transmission and distribution spending. Does Nucor’s US$105 Million Grid Investment Shift The Bull Case For NUE Toward Higher-Value Steel?
Positive Sentiment: The Indiana expansion strengthens Nucor’s exposure to higher-value utility poles and related structural products rather than relying solely on traditional steel markets. Advanced automation could improve production efficiency and margins as grid investment accelerates. What Does Nucor Indiana Utility Pole Expansion Mean For Grid Growth?
Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Nucor EPS forecasts for fourth-quarter 2026 to $6.84 from $4.81, fourth-quarter 2027 to $4.20 from $3.50, and full-year 2027 to $19.44 from $18.83. These revisions provide a more constructive earnings backdrop, despite the firm retaining a “Hold” rating.
Positive Sentiment: NUE was included in Zacks’ October 14 Strong Buy lists for both momentum and value stocks, reinforcing the stock’s favorable technical performance and valuation profile. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for October 14th
Neutral Sentiment: Nucor is scheduled to discuss its third-quarter 2026 results on an upcoming conference call, which could provide additional guidance on steel pricing, margins and demand. Nucor Invites You to Join Its Third Quarter of 2026 Conference Call
Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered some longer-term quarterly EPS estimates, including third-quarter 2026 to $5.61 from $5.90 and third-quarter 2027 to $5.13 from $5.23. The cuts suggest that steel-market cyclicality and margin pressure remain risks.

Nucor Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Nucor Corporation is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based steel producer and one of the largest steel companies in North America. The company operates electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mills that use recycled scrap steel as a primary raw material, along with facilities that manufacture and process steel products for construction, manufacturing, transportation, energy and other industrial markets.

Nucor’s product portfolio includes carbon and alloy steel in sheet, plate, bar and structural forms, as well as reinforcing steel, wire and wire mesh.