Wall Street Zen Upgrades Nucor (NYSE:NUE) to “Strong-Buy”

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. BNP Paribas Exane increased their target price on shares of Nucor from $210.00 to $248.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Nucor from $212.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Nucor from $240.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Friday, May 1st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Nucor from $196.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on Nucor from $190.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note 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 company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Nucor presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $245.45.

Nucor Stock Down 0.1%

NUE stock opened at $226.78 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $51.65 billion, a PE ratio of 22.45, a P/E/G ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.87. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. Nucor has a twelve month low of $106.21 and a twelve month high of $235.45. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $190.48 and its 200-day moving average is $175.12.

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

Nucor announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Nucor

In other news, EVP Bradley Ford sold 2,240 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.13, for a total value of $519,971.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 43,649 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,132,242.37. The trade was a 4.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Noah C. Hanners sold 6,472 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.50, for a total transaction of $1,465,908.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 50,377 shares in the company, valued at $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. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 69,318 shares of company stock valued at $15,672,093. Insiders own 0.62% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nucor

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in Nucor in the 4th quarter worth about $609,002,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Nucor by 580.9% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 653,845 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $84,699,000 after buying an additional 557,819 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its position in shares of Nucor by 20.1% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,042,761 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $412,081,000 after buying an additional 509,019 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Nucor by 169.0% in the fourth quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 779,940 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $127,216,000 after buying an additional 489,950 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Nucor by 27.5% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,780,423 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $290,405,000 after buying an additional 383,952 shares in the last quarter. 76.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Nucor

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 the current share price. 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 bullish analyst sentiment around the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Nucor’s strong first quarter, with record shipments, higher steel selling prices, improved metal margins, and management guidance for higher consolidated earnings in Q2. Should Record Q1 2026 Shipments and Higher Q2 Outlook Require Action From Nucor (NUE) Investors?
• Positive Sentiment: Another earnings-focused analysis said Nucor’s latest quarter was driven by stronger steel prices and record shipments, reinforcing the view that profits and sales momentum remain solid. Evaluating Nucor (NUE) After Earnings Fueled By Strong Steel Prices And Record Shipments
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader sector headlines were mixed: National Steel reported a Q1 earnings miss due to softer steel demand, imports, and weather-related pressure, which could temper enthusiasm for the steel group overall. National Steel Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates on Softer Steel Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst debate continues around tariff effects, profitability, and Nucor’s growth projects, but the revised fair-value estimates suggest expectations are trending higher overall. How The Nucor (NUE) Investment Story Is Shifting With New Analyst Views And Tariff News

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.