Nucor(US:NUE) ZACKS·2026-01-27 16:25Core Insights - Nucor Corporation (NUE) reported Q4 2025 earnings of $1.64 per share, an increase from $1.22 year-over-year, but missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.82 [1] - Net sales reached $7,687 million, reflecting an 8.6% year-over-year increase, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7,679.1 million [1] NUE's Operating Figures - Total sales tons for steel mills in Q4 were 4,602,000 tons, a 0.5% increase year-over-year but an 8% decrease from the prior quarter, missing the estimate of 4,927,000 tons [2] - Overall operating rates at steel mills were 82%, down from 85% in the previous quarter but up from 74% in Q4 2024 [2] Nucor's Segment Highlights - The Steel Mills segment earned $516 million, down from the previous quarter due to lower volumes and margin compression, particularly in sheet products [3] - The Steel Products segment reported earnings of $230 million, lower sequentially due to reduced volumes and higher average costs per ton [3] - The Raw Materials segment generated $24 million, down from the prior quarter, affected by scheduled outages at direct reduced iron facilities [3] NUE's Financial Position - Cash and cash equivalents were $2,260 million at the end of the quarter, a decrease of approximately 36.5% year-over-year [4] - Long-term debt increased to $6,909 million, up 21.6% [4] - Nucor repurchased about 0.7 million shares of its common stock during the quarter [4] Nucor's Outlook - The company expects Q1 2026 earnings to increase across all segments compared to Q4, with the Steel Mills segment anticipated to see the largest rise due to higher volumes and prices [5] - The Steel Products segment is also projected to record higher earnings mainly from increased volumes, while the Raw Materials segment is expected to see improved earnings as well [5] NUE's Price Performance - Nucor's shares have increased by 40.4% over the past year, compared to a 56.5% rise in the industry [6]