Nucor Announces Guidance for the First Quarter of 2026 Earnings

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.

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.

Argus Mar 19 session

+0.49% close to close 1.0x rel. volume Open Argus

Details

News Market Reaction – NUE

On Mar 19, the day this news came out, NUE closed 0.49% above the previous close.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Mar 19 session.

Key Figures

Q1 2026 EPS guidance: $2.70–$2.80 per diluted share Q4 2025 net EPS: $1.64 per diluted share Q4 2025 adjusted EPS: $1.73 per diluted share +5 more

Q1 2026 EPS guidance

$2.70–$2.80 per diluted share

Guidance for quarter ending April 4, 2026

Q4 2025 net EPS

$1.64 per diluted share

Reported net earnings per diluted share

Q4 2025 adjusted EPS

$1.73 per diluted share

Adjusted net earnings per diluted share

Q1 2025 net EPS

$0.67 per diluted share

Prior-year first quarter net earnings

Q1 2025 adjusted EPS

$0.77 per diluted share

Prior-year first quarter adjusted earnings

Shares repurchased

0.7 million shares

Approximate Q1 2026 repurchases

Average repurchase price

$175.19 per share

Average price paid for Q1 2026 buybacks

Capital returned YTD

$250 million

Share repurchases and dividends year-to-date

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: 2026-03-03

5 events

1. 2026-03-03

   Executive retirement

   24h Move

   -1.8%

   Announced retirement of EVP Commercial Daniel Needham effective June 20, 2026.

2. 2026-02-20

   Capital return

   24h Move

   -0.0%

   Declared $0.56 dividend and authorized new $4.00 billion share repurchase program.

3. 2026-02-20

   CFO promotion

   24h Move

   -0.0%

   Promoted Jack Sullivan to CFO, Treasurer and EVP effective March 1, 2026.

4. 2026-01-26

   Earnings report

   24h Move

   -2.3%

   Reported Q4 2025 results with $1.64 EPS and guidance for higher Q1 2026 earnings.

5. 2026-01-13

   Earnings call invite

   24h Move

   +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.

Key Terms

non-gaap, generally accepted accounting principles, adjusted net earnings per diluted share, net earnings per diluted share, +1 more

5 terms

non-gaap financial

"The Company uses certain non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) financial measures"

Non-GAAP refers to financial measures that companies use to show their earnings or performance without including certain expenses or income that are often added back to give a different picture. It matters because it can make a company's results look better or more favorable, but it may also hide important costs, so investors need to look at both GAAP (official rules) and non-GAAP numbers to get a full understanding.

View in glossary

generally accepted accounting principles financial

"non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) financial measures in this news release"

Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are a standardized set of rules and practices companies use to record and report their financial results, like a common recipe so dishes from different cooks can be fairly compared. Investors rely on GAAP because it makes company earnings, assets and liabilities consistent and transparent across businesses, helping them compare performance, spot risks, and make informed decisions about buying or selling stock.

adjusted net earnings per diluted share financial

"We define adjusted net earnings per diluted share as net earnings per diluted share adding back"

Adjusted net earnings per diluted share measures a company’s profit allocated to each share after adding back or removing one-time, non-cash, or unusual items, and dividing by the diluted share count (which includes possible additional shares from options or convertibles). Think of it like reporting “clean” profit per share after wiping away temporary spikes or charges, helping investors compare ongoing profitability and value per share across periods or companies.

net earnings per diluted share financial

"We define adjusted net earnings per diluted share as net earnings per diluted share adding back"

Net earnings per diluted share measures the company’s profit allocated to each common share after deducting expenses, but calculated as if all potential new shares from options, warrants, convertible debt and similar instruments were exercised. Think of it as the size of each pie slice if you had to share the same pie with every possible extra diner; it shows investors a more conservative view of earnings per share and helps assess how stock-based claims could reduce future earnings and affect valuation.

forward-looking statements regulatory

"Certain statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks"

Forward-looking statements are predictions or plans that companies share about what they expect to happen in the future, like estimating sales or profits. They matter because they help investors understand a company's outlook, but since they are based on guesses and assumptions, they can sometimes be wrong.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

See more from StockTitan in Google Search and AI answers. Adds StockTitan as a preferred source · opens Google

Add on Google Not now

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) today announced guidance for its first quarter ending April 4, 2026. Nucor expects first quarter earnings to be in the range of $2.70 to $2.80 per diluted share. Nucor reported fourth quarter 2025 net earnings of $1.64 and adjusted earnings of $1.73, both per diluted share.  Prior year first quarter net earnings were $0.67 and adjusted earnings were $0.77, both per diluted share.

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 $175.19 per share. Nucor has returned approximately $250 million to stockholders in the form of share repurchases and dividend payments year-to-date.

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 the United States, Canada and Mexico. Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel racking; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; precision castings; steel fasteners; metal building systems; insulated metal panels; overhead doors; steel grating; wire and wire mesh; and utility structures. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company and its affiliates, also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and hot briquetted iron / direct reduced iron; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.

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) U.S. and foreign trade policies affecting steel imports or exports; (3) the sensitivity of the results of our operations to general market conditions, and in particular, prevailing market steel prices and changes in the supply and cost of raw materials, including pig iron, iron ore and scrap steel; (4) the availability and cost of electricity and natural gas, which could negatively affect our cost of steel production or result in a delay or cancellation of existing or future drilling within our natural gas drilling programs; (5) critical equipment failures and business interruptions; (6) market demand for steel products, which, in the case of many of our products, is driven by the level of nonresidential construction activity in the United States; (7) impairment in the recorded value of inventory, equity investments, fixed assets, goodwill or other long-lived assets; (8) uncertainties and volatility surrounding the global economy, including excess world capacity for steel production, inflation and interest rate changes; (9) fluctuations in currency conversion rates; (10) significant changes in laws or government regulations affecting environmental compliance, including legislation and regulations that result in greater regulation of greenhouse gas emissions that could increase our energy costs, capital expenditures and operating costs or cause one or more of our permits to be revoked or make it more difficult to obtain permit modifications; (11) the cyclical nature of the steel industry; (12) capital investments and their impact on our performance; (13) our safety performance; (14) our ability to integrate businesses we acquire; and (15) the impact of any pandemic or public health situation. These and other factors are discussed in Nucor's regulatory filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including those in "Item 1A. Risk Factors" of Nucor's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of this date, and Nucor does not assume any obligation to update them, except as may be required by applicable law.

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 interests, per diluted share			0.09				0.10
Adjusted net earnings per diluted share		$	1.73			$	0.77

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nucor-announces-guidance-for-the-first-quarter-of-2026-earnings-302718262.html

SOURCE Nucor Corporation

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What EPS did Nucor (NUE) guide for Q1 2026 and how does it compare to Q4 2025?

Nucor guided Q1 2026 EPS of $2.70 to $2.80 per diluted share. According to the company, Q4 2025 net earnings were $1.64 per diluted share, providing the most recent comparable quarter for investors to assess the guidance.

When will Nucor (NUE) release first quarter 2026 results and host the conference call?

Nucor plans to release Q1 2026 results after markets close on April 27, 2026. According to the company, the conference call to review results is scheduled for April 28, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET and will be webcast.

How did Nucor (NUE) describe segment performance expectations for Q1 2026?

Nucor expects earnings to increase across all three operating segments in Q1 2026, led by the steel mills segment. According to the company, gains are driven by higher average selling prices and increased volumes across product groups.

What recent capital return actions has Nucor (NUE) taken in Q1 2026?

Year-to-date, Nucor repurchased approximately 0.7 million shares at an average price of $175.19. According to the company, it has returned roughly $250 million to stockholders through share repurchases and dividend payments.

What non-GAAP measure does Nucor (NUE) report and how is it defined?

Nucor reports adjusted net earnings per diluted share as a non-GAAP measure. According to the company, it adds back losses and impairments of assets, net of tax and noncontrolling interests, to net earnings per diluted share.

Does Nucor (NUE) disclose risks that could affect its Q1 2026 outlook?

Yes. According to the company, forward-looking statements include risks such as competitive pricing pressure, trade policies, raw material and energy costs, equipment failures, market demand, and regulatory changes that could materially affect results.