Nucor (NUE) stock
Materials · Steel
Nucor (NUE) is a Steel company in the Materials sector, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. As of October 23, 2026, NUE closed at $258.11, a market capitalization of $58.56 billion, the 205th largest company in the S&P 500. Over the last twelve months it generated $36.10 billion in revenue (+23% year over year) and $1.58 billion in free cash flow. The stock trades at 20.6x trailing earnings and 12.3x forward earnings.
- 1-year total return: +88.6% (dividends reinvested)
- 5-year return: +22.1% a year
- 52-week range: $139.21 – $280.11
- Gross margin 15.6%, operating margin 15.7%
- Dividend yield: 0.87%, 16 straight years of increases
- FI Handbook report card: C+ across 10 metrics
- 7th largest of 24 Materials stocks in the S&P 500
NUE price chart
1Y price change: +86.4% (price only; total returns below include dividends)
| Total return | 1M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | MAX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUE | +4.8% | +59.6% | +88.6% | +24.2% | +22.1% | +20.9% | +15.2% |
Dividends reinvested. 3Y and longer are annualized; MAX is annualized since 1980.
NUE key statistics
- Market cap
- $58.6B
- #205 in S&P 500
- P/E (TTM)
- 20.6x
- Forward P/E
- 12.3x
- EPS (TTM)
- $12.54
- Revenue (TTM)
- $36.1B
- +23%
- Free cash flow
- $1.6B
- Gross margin
- 15.6%
- Operating margin
- 15.7%
- Return on equity
- 14.5%
- Dividend yield
- 0.87%
- 52-week range
- $139.21 – $280.11
- Beta
- 1.85
- Price / sales
- 1.6x
- EV / EBITDA
- 11.3x
- Debt / equity
- 0.31x
- Employees
- 33,000
NUE report card
C+Ten fundamentals graded A to F against fixed thresholds. Not a buy or sell rating.
- Revenue growth23.0%A
- Gross margin15.6%D
- Operating margin15.7%C
- FCF margin4.4%D
- Return on equity14.5%C
- Net debt / EBITDA0.8xB
- Forward P/E12.3xA
- PEG ratio5.2xF
- Shareholder yield2.1%C
- Share count change / yr-5.3%A
Nucor financials
Revenue went from $16.2B in fiscal 2016 to $32.5B in fiscal 2025, growing 8.0% a year.
| Fiscal year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $16.2B | $20.3B | $25.1B | $22.6B | $20.1B | $36.5B | $41.5B | $34.7B | $30.7B | $32.5B |
| Gross profit | $2.0B | $2.6B | $4.3B | $2.7B | $2.2B | $11.0B | $12.5B | $7.8B | $4.1B | $3.9B |
| Net income | $796.3M | $1.3B | $2.4B | $1.3B | $721.5M | $6.8B | $7.6B | $4.5B | $2.0B | $1.7B |
| EPS (diluted) | $2.48 | $4.10 | $7.42 | $4.14 | $2.36 | $23.16 | $28.79 | $18.00 | $8.46 | $7.52 |
| Free cash flow | $1.1B | $606.8M | $1.4B | $1.3B | $1.2B | $4.6B | $8.1B | $4.9B | $806.0M | -$188.0M |
| Buybacks | $5.2M | $90.3M | $854.0M | $298.5M | $39.5M | $3.3B | $2.8B | $1.6B | $2.2B | $700.0M |
| Dividends paid | $481.1M | $485.3M | $485.4M | $492.1M | $491.7M | $483.5M | $534.0M | $515.0M | $522.0M | $512.0M |
| Diluted shares | 319.8M | 320.8M | 316.7M | 305.5M | 303.3M | 293.4M | 263.2M | 250.4M | 238.5M | 231.0M |
Source: SEC filings (10-K XBRL). EPS and share counts are split-adjusted.
What's priced into NUE?
A reverse DCF asks what growth the current price requires. With an enterprise value of $63.0B and $1.6B of trailing free cash flow, Nucor needs to grow free cash flow about 28.3% a year for ten years (fading to 3.0% terminal growth) to earn a 10% annual return.
P/E ratio history
Current 34.3x vs. median 16.0x (10th–90th percentile 6.5x–89.1x).
A model, not a forecast or advice. Small changes in assumptions move the answer a lot.
NUE dividend
- Dividend yield
- 0.87%
- Annual dividend
- $2.24
- Years of increases
- 16
- 5-yr dividend growth
- 6.5%
- per year
- Payout ratio
- 18%
- Payments per year
- 4
Regular dividends per share by calendar year; special dividends excluded. Current year omitted until complete.
NUE analyst price targets
16 analysts' average 12-month target is $285.00 (+10% vs. $258.11). Targets range from $226.00 to $310.00. 76% rate it a buy.
NUE earnings
Next report: October 26, 2026. Nucor has beaten EPS estimates 2 quarters in a row. Last quarter's revenue was $10.4B (+23% year over year).
| Report date | EPS estimate | EPS actual | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2026 | $4.53 | $4.84 | +6.9% |
| Apr 27, 2026 | $2.82 | $3.23 | +14.7% |
| Jan 26, 2026 | $1.81 | $1.73 | -4.4% |
| Oct 27, 2025 | $2.17 | $2.63 | +21.3% |
| Jul 28, 2025 | $2.64 | $2.65 | +0.3% |
| Apr 28, 2025 | $0.66 | $0.77 | +16.9% |
| Jan 27, 2025 | $0.62 | $1.22 | +97.0% |
| Oct 21, 2024 | $1.41 | $1.49 | +5.5% |
Stocks like NUE
| Name | Today | 1Y | Mkt cap | P/E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 STLD Steel Dynamics | +0.68% | +62% | $34.3B | 17.8x | Compare |
 LIN Linde | -0.30% | +15% | $234.6B | 32.8x | Compare |
 NEM Newmont | -4.59% | +24% | $113.1B | 12.6x | Compare |
 FCX Freeport-McMoRan | +0.91% | +60% | $93.6B | 32.1x | Compare |
 SHW Sherwin-Williams | -2.48% | +3% | $81.8B | 31.1x | Compare |
 ECL Ecolab | -1.29% | +6% | $80.9B | 38.7x | Compare |
 APD Air Products and Chemicals | -0.35% | +24% | $68.4B | — | Compare |
 CRH CRH | -1.78% | -27% | $56.5B | 15.0x | Compare |
NUE news
- How Will Nucor Stock React To Its Upcoming Earnings? · Oct 23, 2026
- NUE to Report Q3 Earnings: What's in the Offing for the Stock? · Oct 23, 2026
- Nucor Expands Towers & Structures Capacity to Meet Rising Demand · Oct 22, 2026
- How Utility Pole Expansion Will Impact Nucor (NUE) Investors · Oct 22, 2026
- Nucor (NUE) Laps the Stock Market: Here's Why · Oct 21, 2026
NUE stock FAQ
What is NUE's market cap?
Nucor's market capitalization is $58.56 billion as of October 23, 2026, ranking 205th in the S&P 500.
What is NUE's P/E ratio?
NUE trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 20.6x and a forward P/E of 12.3x. Its median P/E over the period we track is 16.0x.
Does NUE pay a dividend?
Yes. Nucor pays $2.24 per share a year, a 0.87% yield. It has raised its dividend 16 years in a row. Dividends grew 6.5% a year over the last five years.
How much has NUE stock returned?
Including reinvested dividends, NUE returned +88.6% over one year, +22.1% a year over five years, +20.9% a year over ten years through October 23, 2026.
Is NUE stock overvalued?
At today's price, a reverse discounted cash flow model (10% discount rate, 3% terminal growth) implies Nucor must grow free cash flow about 28% a year for the next decade. Whether that is achievable decides if the stock is cheap or expensive. This is a model, not advice.
What is the NUE price target?
16 analysts cover NUE with an average 12-month price target of $285.00, +10% from the current price. 76% of them rate it a buy.
When does NUE report earnings?
Nucor is expected to report earnings on October 26, 2026. It has beaten EPS estimates 2 quarters in a row.
How many employees does Nucor have?
Nucor has about 33,000 full-time employees, or $1.1 million of revenue per employee.
Sources: SEC EDGAR filings, Yahoo Finance market data (delayed), FI Handbook calculations. Last close October 23, 2026. Methodology