Stock of the Day

September 20, 2019

Nucor (NUE)

$254.71
-$2.41 (-0.9%)
Market Cap: $58.33B

About Nucor

Nucor Corporation engages in manufacture and sale of steel and steel products. It operates in three segments: steel mills, steel products, and raw materials. The Steel Mills segment produces hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized sheet steel products; plate steel products; wide-flange beams, beam blanks, and H-piling and sheet piling structural steel products; bar steel products, such as blooms, billets, concrete reinforcing and merchant bars, and engineered special bar quality products; and engages in the steel trading and rebar distribution businesses. This segment sells its products to steel service centers, fabricators, and manufacturers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Steel Products segment offers steel joists and joist girders, steel decks, and galvanized torque tubes for used in solar arrays, hollow structural section steel tubing, electrical conduit, fabricated concrete reinforcing steel, cold finished steel, steel fasteners, steel grating and expanded metal, wire and wire mesh, metal building systems, insulated metal panels, steel racking, overhead doors, and utility towers and structures for communications and energy transmission. This segment is also involved in the piling distribution business. The Raw Materials segment produces direct reduced iron (DRI); brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron, hot briquetted iron, and DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal; and engages in the natural gas production and industrial gas business. This segment sells its ferrous scrap to electric arc furnace steel mills and foundries for manufacturing process; and nonferrous scrap metal to aluminum can producers, secondary aluminum smelters, steel mills and other processors, and consumers of various nonferrous metals. It markets its products through in-house sales force; and internal distribution and trading companies. Nucor Corporation was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Nucor Bull Case

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Nucor Co.:

  • The company recently announced a $105 million investment to expand its utility towers and structures facility in Crawfordsville, Indiana, which is expected to create 100 new jobs and add capacity for utility poles that support the nation's power transmission and distribution infrastructure.
  • Nucor Co. reported strong second-quarter earnings on July 27, 2026, with earnings per share of $4.84 beating the consensus estimate of $4.46, while revenue of $10.40 billion exceeded expectations and grew 23.0% year over year.
  • The stock is currently trading at $252.00, which is below the consensus price target of $276.07, suggesting potential upside as analysts maintain a Moderate Buy rating with 13 Buy ratings and only 4 Hold ratings.
  • Institutional investors have shown continued interest, with several firms such as Mirador Capital Partners LP and Wedmont Private Capital increasing their stakes in the third quarter, indicating confidence in the company's long-term growth trajectory.
  • The company benefits from a diversified product portfolio that includes steel joists, steel decks, and utility towers, allowing it to capture demand from multiple sectors including construction, energy, and telecommunications.

Nucor Bear Case

Investors should be bearish about investing in Nucor Co. for these reasons:

  • Wall Street Zen recently downgraded Nucor Co. from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating, reflecting a more cautious outlook on the stock's near-term performance despite its recent gains.
  • JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered its price target on Nucor Co. from $308.00 to $296.00, signaling somewhat less near-term upside potential even though it retained an Overweight rating.
  • Insider selling has been notable, with executives such as EVP Thomas J. Batterbee and COO Stephen D. Laxton selling significant portions of their holdings in the past few months, which may indicate a lack of confidence in the current valuation.
  • The stock has a high beta of 1.84, meaning it is more volatile than the overall market and could experience larger price swings during periods of economic uncertainty or market downturns.
  • Short interest has increased slightly, with 4,364,734 shares shorted as of September 30, 2026, representing 1.94% of the float, which could put downward pressure on the stock price if short sellers continue to add to their positions.
← Previous Stock of the DayNext Stock of the Day →

Recent News