Charlotte, North Carolina-based Nucor Corporation (NUE) manufactures and sells steel and steel products, including structural steel, steel bars, steel joists, steel deck and cold finished bars. Valued at a market cap of $25.6 billion, the company serves key industries such as construction, automotive, energy, and manufacturing. It is scheduled to announce its fiscal Q1 earnings for 2025 after the market closes on Monday, Apr. 28.
Ahead of this event, analysts expect this steel company to report a profit of $0.72 per share, down 79.2% from $3.46 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has surpassed Wall Street's earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters, while missing on another occasion. In Q4 2024, NUE’s EPS of $1.22 outpaced the forecasted figure by a notable margin of 90.6%.
For fiscal 2025, analysts expect NUE to report a profit of $7.94 per share, down 10.8% from $8.90 in fiscal 2024. Nonetheless, its EPS is expected to rebound in 2026 and grow by 36.9% year over year to $10.87.
NUE has declined 43% over the past 52 weeks, considerably underperforming both the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 5.5% gain, and the Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLB) 9.4% downtick over the same time frame.
On Jan. 27, shares of NUE fell marginally after its Q4 earnings release. The company delivered a profit of $1.22 per share and revenue of $7.1 billion, both handily surpassing estimates. However, revenue declined 8.2% year-over-year, primarily due to a drop in the average sales price per ton and reduced steel mill shipments to internal customers. Additionally, its net income per share was down 61.4% compared to the same quarter last year, driven by weaker earnings in the steel mills and steel products segments. These declines, despite the above-par performance, likely contributed to the cautious investor sentiment.
Wall Street analysts are moderately optimistic about NUE’s stock, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall. Among 13 analysts covering the stock, eight recommend "Strong Buy," one advises a “Moderate Buy,” and four suggest “Hold.” The mean price target for NUE is $151.73, which indicates a 36.9% potential upside from the current levels.
