Nucor Corporation announced consolidated net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders of $743 million, or $3.23 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2026. Nucor reported consolidated net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders in the fourth quarter of 2025 of $378 million, or $1.64 per diluted share (adjusted net earnings of $400 million, or $1.73 per diluted share). Nucor reported net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders in the first quarter of 2025 of $156 million, or $0.67 per diluted share (adjusted net earnings of $179 million, or $0.77 per diluted share).
“Nucor teammates delivered a strong start to 2026, with our steel mills segment achieving a new quarterly shipment record,” said Leon Topalian, Nucor’s chair and chief executive officer. “All three of our operating segments reported sequential earnings growth, driven by strong demand across key end markets, growing contributions from recent capital investments, and federal trade policies that continue to reduce the flood of unfairly traded imports into the United States.”
Analysis of First Quarter of 2026 Results Compared to the Fourth Quarter of 2025
The increase in first quarter earnings was driven primarily by the increase in earnings in the steel mills segment, which experienced higher average selling prices and volumes across all product groups. The steel products segment had improved earnings due to increased volumes and stable average realized pricing. The raw materials segment had higher earnings in the first quarter due to increased average selling prices and volumes.
Financial Strength
At the end of the first quarter of 2026, Nucor had $2.48 billion in cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments on hand. The Company’s $2.25 billion revolving credit facility remains undrawn and does not expire until March 2030. The Company continues to have the strongest credit ratings in the North American steel sector (A-/A-/A3) with stable outlooks at Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s, respectively.
Commitment to Returning Capital to Stockholders
During the first quarter of 2026, Nucor repurchased approximately 0.7 million shares of its common stock 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. On February 20, 2026, Nucor’s Board of directors approved a new share repurchase program under which Nucor is authorized to repurchase up to $4.00 billion of its common stock and terminated any previously authorized share repurchase programs. As of April 4, 2026, Nucor had approximately $3.97 billion remaining for repurchases under its authorized share repurchase program. This share repurchase authorization is discretionary and has no scheduled expiration date.
On February 20, 2026, Nucor’s Board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.56 per share. This cash dividend is payable on May 11, 2026, to stockholders of record as of March 31, 2026 and is Nucor’s 212th consecutive quarterly cash dividend.
Published July 2026
