Nucor Corporation NUE reported earnings of $3.23 per share for the first quarter of 2026, up from 67 cents in the year-ago quarter. It beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.79.
The company recorded net sales of $9,496 million, up around 21.3% year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8,657.6 million.
Nucor Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Nucor Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Nucor Corporation Quote
NUE’s Operating Figures
Total sales tons to outside customers for steel mills in the first quarter were 5,619,000 tons, up 8% year over year. Volumes were up 22% from the prior quarter. The figure missed our estimate of 5,228,000 tons.
Overall operating rates at the company's steel mills were 86%, up sequentially from 82% and from 80% in the first quarter of 2025.
Nucor’s Segment Highlights
In the reported quarter, the Steel Mills segment posted earnings of $1,128 million, up from the fourth quarter due to higher average selling prices and volumes across all product groups.
The Steel Products segment earned $285 million, higher sequentially, reflecting increased volumes and stable average realized pricing.
The Raw Materials segment delivered earnings of $45 million, up from the prior quarter due to higher average selling prices and volumes.
NUE’s Financial Position
Cash and cash equivalents were $2,226 million at the end of the quarter, down around 29.5% year over year. Long-term debt was $6,877 million, up 2.8%.
In the first quarter, Nucor repurchased roughly 0.7 million shares of its common stock.
Nucor’s Outlook
The company expects higher consolidated earnings in the second quarter of 2026, supported by improvements across all three operating segments. In the steel mills segment, earnings are projected to rise due to higher realized selling prices while volumes remain stable. The steel products segment is also anticipated to deliver stronger performance, driven by higher volumes on steady pricing. The raw materials segment is expected to benefit from higher realized pricing, further contributing to overall earnings growth.
NUE’s Price Performance
Shares of Nucor are up 81% in a year compared with the industry's 70.6% rise.
NUE’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks
NUE currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks worth a look in the basic materials space are Galiano Gold Inc. GAU, Materion Corporation MTRN, and Nexa Resources S.A. NEXA.
Galiano is slated to report quarterly results on May 13. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 17 cents per share. GAU has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.
Materion is expected to report first-quarter results on April 29. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MTRN’s first-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.24 per share. MTRN currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
NEXA is scheduled to report first-quarter results on May 6. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NEXA’s first-quarter earnings is pegged at 61 cents per share. NEXA currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
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Nucor Corporation (NUE): Free Stock Analysis Report
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