Nucor Announces Guidance for the First Quarter of 2026 Earnings
Rhea-AI Summary
Nucor (NYSE:NUE) announced guidance for the first quarter ending April 4, 2026, with expected earnings of $2.70 to $2.80 per diluted share. Nucor reported Q4 2025 net earnings of $1.64 and adjusted earnings of $1.73. The company expects sequential segment earnings growth led by steel mills from higher selling prices and volumes. Year-to-date capital returns include repurchasing ~0.7 million shares at an average price of $175.19 and returning about $250 million via buybacks and dividends. Q1 earnings will be released April 27, 2026, with a conference call April 28, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Positive
- Q1 2026 EPS guidance of $2.70–$2.80 per diluted share
- Q4 2025 net earnings were $1.64 per diluted share (comparable baseline)
- Repurchased approximately 0.7 million shares at an average price of $175.19
- Returned about $250 million to stockholders year-to-date via repurchases and dividends
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – NUE
In the Mar 19 session, NUE gained 0.49%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-03 | Executive retirement | Neutral | -1.8% | Announced retirement of EVP Commercial Daniel Needham effective June 20, 2026. |
| 2026-02-20 | Capital return | Positive | -0.0% | Declared $0.56 dividend and authorized new $4.00 billion share repurchase program. |
| 2026-02-20 | CFO promotion | Positive | -0.0% | Promoted Jack Sullivan to CFO, Treasurer and EVP effective March 1, 2026. |
| 2026-01-26 | Earnings report | Positive | -2.3% | Reported Q4 2025 results with $1.64 EPS and guidance for higher Q1 2026 earnings. |
| 2026-01-13 | Earnings call invite | Neutral | +2.1% | Invited investors to Q4 2025 results webcast and conference call on Jan 27, 2026. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent company news, including capital returns and earnings, has often been followed by modest, mixed price reactions rather than strong directional moves.
Over the last few months, Nucor has focused on capital returns, leadership transitions, and earnings. The Q4 2025 report on Jan 26, 2026 showed net earnings of $378 million and adjusted EPS of $1.73, with expectations for higher Q1 2026 earnings. Subsequent announcements covered dividends, a new $4.00 billion repurchase authorization, and executive changes, with generally small share-price moves. Today’s Q1 2026 EPS guidance builds directly on that prior outlook for improved segment earnings.
Key Terms
non-gaap financial
generally accepted accounting principles financial
forward-looking statements regulatory
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
First Quarter of 2026 Commentary
Earnings in the first quarter of 2026 are expected to increase across all three of our operating segments as compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, with the largest increase in the steel mills segment. The expected increase in the steel mills segment earnings is due to higher average selling prices and volumes across all product groups. In the steel products segment, we expect improved earnings due to increased volumes and stable average realized pricing. The raw materials segment is expected to have slightly higher earnings in the first quarter of 2026.
Capital Returns
During the first quarter of 2026, Nucor has repurchased approximately 0.7 million shares at an average price of
First Quarter of 2026 Earnings Release and Conference Call
Nucor plans to release its earnings after the markets close on Monday, April 27, 2026, and will host a conference call the morning of Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to review the Company's first quarter results. The event will be broadcast on the internet, and instructions on how to access will be sent closer to the call.
About Nucor
Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel and steel products, with operating facilities in
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company uses certain non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) financial measures in this news release, including adjusted net earnings per diluted share. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company's performance or financial position that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.
We define adjusted net earnings per diluted share as net earnings per diluted share adding back the per diluted share impact of losses and impairments of assets, net of tax and noncontrolling interests. Please note that other companies might define their non-GAAP financial measures differently than we do.
Management presents the non-GAAP financial measure of adjusted net earnings per diluted share in this news release because it considers it to be an important supplemental measure of performance. Management believes that this non-GAAP financial measure provides additional insight for analysts and investors evaluating the Company's financial and operational performance by providing a consistent basis of comparison across periods.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties which we expect will or may occur in the future and may impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. The words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "intend," "project," "may," "will," "should," "could" and similar expressions are intended to identify those forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's best judgment based on current information, and, although we base these statements on circumstances that we believe to be reasonable when made, there can be no assurance that future events will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking information. As such, the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may vary materially from the projected results and expectations discussed in this news release. Factors that might cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (1) competitive pressure on sales and pricing, including pressure from imports and substitute materials; (2)
Non-GAAP Financial Measures | |||||||||
Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Earnings Per Diluted Share (Unaudited) | |||||||||
Three Months (13 Weeks) Ended | |||||||||
December 31, 2025 | April 5, 2025 | ||||||||
Net earnings per diluted share | $ | 1.64 | $ | 0.67 | |||||
Losses and impairments of assets, net of tax and noncontrolling | 0.09 | 0.10 | |||||||
Adjusted net earnings per diluted share | $ | 1.73 | $ | 0.77 | |||||
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SOURCE Nucor Corporation