Nucor Guides Q3 EPS Above 2025, Below Estimates

Nucor projected third-quarter 2026 earnings of $5.55 to $5.65 per diluted share, below the analyst consensus of $5.99 but above its year-earlier result of $2.63. Shares fell about 3.7% after the company issued the guidance, while Steel Dynamics also declined after offering weaker-than-expected forecasts. Nucor expects higher selling prices and stable volumes to support its steel mills segment, improved volumes and pricing to lift steel products, and lower prices and shipments to weigh on raw materials. The company repurchased about 2.03 million shares during the quarter and has returned roughly $1.36 billion to investors through buybacks and dividends this year. Nucor produces steel primarily through electric arc furnaces and serves customers across the United States, Canada and Mexico; despite a strong multiyear stock gain, valuation analysts said its current share price depends on whether future free-cash-flow growth materializes.