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Nucor to Report Q2 Earnings: What's in the Offing for the Stock?

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Key Takeaways

  • NUE is set to report Q2 results on July 28, with earnings likely aided by strong prices and shipment volumes.
  • Higher steel tariffs and mill price hikes have driven hot-rolled coil prices and boosted NUE's outlook.
  • Nucor expects earnings growth across all segments, led by steel mills on improved average selling prices.

Nucor Corporation (NUE - Free Report) is set to release second-quarter 2025 results after the closing bell on July 28.

The U.S. steel giant surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters at an average of 31.6%. It posted an earnings surprise of 13.2% in the last reported quarter. Higher selling prices and volumes are likely to have aided NUE’s second-quarter results.

Nucor’s shares have lost 7.7% over the past year, compared with the Zacks Steel Producers industry’s 21.5% decline.

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Let’s see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

What Our Model Unveils for NUE Stock

Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Nucor this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP  and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat.

Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP for NUE is +0.69%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the second quarter is currently pegged at $2.62. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: NUE currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.

What do NUE’s Revenue Estimates Say?

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter consolidated revenues for Nucor is currently pegged at $8,405.1 million, reflecting a year-over-year rise of 4.1%.

Factors at Play for NUE Stock

Higher selling prices are expected to have supported Nucor’s performance in the quarter to be reported. NUE, last month, said that it expects earnings to increase across all three of its segments. The steel mills segment is projected to witness the largest growth owing to higher average selling prices.

Earnings in the steel products segment are forecasted to rise sequentially in the second quarter, aided by stable overall pricing, higher volumes and lower average costs per ton. The raw materials segment is also predicted to witness increased earnings in the quarter.

U.S. steel prices have recovered following a sharp decline in 2024 due to a slowdown in end-market demand and oversupply of steel. The Trump administration's imposition of a 25% tariff on all steel imports into the United States in March 2025 led to a surge in benchmark hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices to a peak of nearly $950 per short ton. The administration's early June doubling of steel tariffs to 50% and the consequent steel mill price hikes triggered a further spike in HRC prices.   

Higher average selling prices and shipment volumes are likely to have boosted NUE’s sales and margins in the June quarter. Our estimate for second-quarter average sales price per ton for the company’s steel mills unit stands at $962, suggesting a 2.6% increase from the prior quarter. The same for shipments for steel mills is pegged at 5,359,000 tons, indicating a 2.5% sequential rise.

Basic Materials Stocks That Warrant a Look

Here are some companies in the basic materials space you may want to consider as our model shows they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:

Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (AEM - Free Report) , scheduled to release earnings on July 30, has an Earnings ESP of +7.43% and carries a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The consensus estimate for AEM’s earnings for the second quarter is currently pegged at $1.67.

ATI Inc. (ATI - Free Report) , slated to release earnings on July 31, has an Earnings ESP of +3.38% and carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present.

The consensus mark for ATI’s second-quarter earnings is currently pegged at 71 cents.

Kinross Gold Corporation (KGC - Free Report) , scheduled to release earnings on July 30, has an Earnings ESP of +15.34%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KGC's earnings for the second quarter is currently pegged at 27 cents. KGC currently carries a Zacks Rank #1. 

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