Nucor shares drop as fourth quarter earnings miss estimates

Investing.com -- Nucor Corp (NYSE: NUE) reported fourth quarter adjusted earnings of $1.73 per share, falling short of analyst expectations of $1.86, while revenue came in at $7.69 billion, below the consensus estimate of $7.87 billion. The steel producer’s shares dropped 3.2% in after-hours trading Monday following the earnings miss.

The adjusted quarterly earnings excluded $0.09 per share in impairment charges related to facility closures and non-current assets. Despite the miss, Nucor’s fourth quarter adjusted earnings showed a 41.8% improvement compared to $1.22 per share in the same quarter last year.

Revenue of $7.69 billion missed analyst projections of $7.87 billion. The company’s steel mills segment saw earnings decrease from the third quarter due to lower volumes and margin compression, primarily in sheet steel products.

"I want to thank our teammates for their tremendous work throughout 2025 - delivering for our customers, advancing key growth projects, and making this Nucor’s safest year," said Leon Topalian, Nucor’s Chair and Chief Executive Officer.

Looking ahead, Nucor expects earnings to increase in the first quarter of 2026 across all three operating segments, with the largest improvement anticipated in the steel mills segment due to higher volumes and realized prices across major product categories.

During the fourth quarter, Nucor repurchased approximately 0.7 million shares at an average price of $145.23 per share. For the full year 2025, the company returned approximately $1.2 billion to stockholders through share repurchases and dividend payments.

The company maintained its strong financial position with $2.70 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter, with its $2.25 billion revolving credit facility remaining undrawn.

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