Nucor Reports Results for the Third Quarter of 2026

Third Quarter of 2026 Highlights

• Net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders of $1.32 billion, or $5.80 per diluted share
• Net sales of $11.25 billion
• Net earnings before noncontrolling interests of $1.47 billion; EBITDA of $2.28 billion

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) today announced consolidated net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders of $1.32 billion, or $5.80 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2026. By comparison, Nucor reported consolidated net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders of $1.16 billion, or $5.04 per diluted share, and adjusted net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders of $1.11 billion, or $4.84 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2026. Nucor reported consolidated net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders of $607 million, or $2.63 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2025.

Second quarter of 2026 results included a non-cash, pre-tax benefit of $61 million ($0.20 per diluted share) related to the increase in the valuation of our investment in Helion, a fusion energy company.

"I want to thank our teammates for delivering another strong quarter and making 2026 the safest summer in Nucor history," said Leon Topalian, Nucor's Chair and Chief Executive Officer. "Supported by robust demand across key end markets, Nucor has generated approximately $2.7 billion of free cash flow and returned nearly $1.4 billion to shareholders through the first nine months of the year. We also achieved important milestones in advancing our growth strategy, including the first heat at our West Virginia sheet mill in September and the recent start-up of our second galvanizing line at Nucor Steel Berkeley. These projects, together with other recent investments, are expanding Nucor's capabilities and strengthening our position in attractive markets. With our diversified portfolio, strong balance sheet and disciplined approach to capital allocation, Nucor is well positioned to deliver long-term shareholder value."

Earnings Before Income Taxes and Noncontrolling Interests by Segment (In millions)

Analysis of Third Quarter of 2026 Results Compared to the Second Quarter of 2026

Third quarter earnings increased in the steel mills and steel products segments, while decreasing in the raw materials segment. The increase in the steel mills segment was due to higher average selling prices and increased volumes, partially offset by higher costs of products sold. Second quarter steel mills segment cost of products sold was reduced by $130 million in cash refunds associated with prior periods' raw material procurement costs, which did not recur in the third quarter of 2026. The increase in earnings in the steel products segment was due to higher volumes and higher average realized pricing. Raw materials segment earnings decreased due to lower pricing and shipments.

Corporate/eliminations expense in the third quarter increased due primarily to the absence of the Helion valuation adjustment.

Financial Strength

At the end of the third quarter of 2026, Nucor had $3.64 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 third quarter of 2026, Nucor repurchased approximately 2.03 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $247.04 per share. Nucor returned approximately $629 million to stockholders in the third quarter of 2026 in the form of share repurchases and dividend payments, and approximately $1.36 billion in the first nine months of 2026.

On September 18, 2026, Nucor's Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.56 per share. This cash dividend is payable on November 10, 2026, to stockholders of record as of September 30, 2026 and is Nucor's 214^th consecutive quarterly cash dividend.

Fourth Quarter of 2026 Outlook Compared to the Third Quarter of 2026

We expect earnings in the fourth quarter of 2026 to be generally in-line with or modestly higher than the third quarter. In the steel mills segment, we expect stable earnings due to higher realized pricing offset by seasonally lower volumes and higher costs. In the steel products segment, we expect stable earnings on higher realized pricing and seasonally lower volumes. The raw materials segment is expected to have slightly lower earnings due to lower realized DRI pricing. Intersegment profit eliminations are expected to decrease in the fourth quarter.

Earnings Conference Call

An earnings call is scheduled for October 27, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to review Nucor's third quarter of 2026 financial results and provide a business update. The call can be accessed via webcast from the Investor Relations section of Nucor's website (nucor.com/investors). A presentation with supplemental information to accompany the call has been posted to Nucor's Investor Relations website. A playback of the webcast will be posted to the same site within one day of the live event.

About Nucor 

Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel and steel products, with operating facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel racking; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; precision castings; steel fasteners; metal building systems; insulated metal panels; overhead doors; steel grating; wire and wire mesh; and utility structures. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company and its affiliates, also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and hot briquetted iron / direct reduced iron; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company uses certain non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) financial measures in this news release, including EBITDA, adjusted net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders, adjusted net earnings per diluted share and, beginning in the third quarter of 2026, free cash flow. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company's performance or financial position that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

We define EBITDA as net earnings before noncontrolling interests, adding back the following items: interest expense (income), net; provision for income taxes; losses and impairments of assets; depreciation; and amortization. For the second quarter of 2026, we defined adjusted net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders as net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders subtracting certain non-cash benefits (in this case, the increase in the value of our investment in Helion), net of tax. We define adjusted net earnings per diluted share as net earnings per diluted share subtracting certain non-cash benefits (in this case, the per diluted share impact of the increase in the value of our investment in Helion), net of tax. We define free cash flow as cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures. Please note that other companies might define their non-GAAP financial measures differently than we do.

Management presents the non-GAAP financial measures of EBITDA, adjusted net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders, adjusted net earnings per diluted share and free cash flow in this news release because it considers them to be important supplemental measures of performance. Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide additional insight for analysts and investors evaluating the Company's financial and operational performance by providing a consistent basis of comparison across periods.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties which we expect will or may occur in the future and may impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. The words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "intend," "project," "may," "will," "should," "could" and similar expressions are intended to identify those forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's best judgment based on current information, and, although we base these statements on circumstances that we believe to be reasonable when made, there can be no assurance that future events will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking information. As such, the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may vary materially from the projected results and expectations discussed in this news release. Factors that might cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (1) competitive pressure on sales and pricing, including pressure from imports and substitute materials; (2) U.S. and foreign trade policies affecting steel imports or exports; (3) the sensitivity of the results of our operations to general market conditions, and in particular, prevailing market steel prices and changes in the supply and cost of raw materials, including pig iron, iron ore and scrap steel; (4) the availability and cost of electricity and natural gas, which could negatively affect our cost of steel production or result in a delay or cancellation of existing or future drilling within our natural gas drilling programs; (5) critical equipment failures and business interruptions; (6) market demand for steel products, which, in the case of many of our products, is driven by the level of nonresidential construction activity in the United States; (7) impairment in the recorded value of inventory, equity investments, fixed assets, goodwill or other long-lived assets; (8) uncertainties and volatility surrounding the global economy, including excess world capacity for steel production, inflation and interest rate changes; (9) fluctuations in currency conversion rates; (10) significant changes in laws or government regulations affecting environmental compliance, including legislation and regulations that result in greater regulation of greenhouse gas emissions that could increase our energy costs, capital expenditures and operating costs or cause one or more of our permits to be revoked or make it more difficult to obtain permit modifications; (11) the cyclical nature of the steel industry; (12) capital investments and their impact on our performance; (13) our safety performance; (14) our ability to integrate businesses we acquire; and (15) the impact of any pandemic or public health situation. These and other factors are discussed in Nucor's regulatory filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including those in "Item 1A. Risk Factors" of Nucor's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of this date, and Nucor does not assume any obligation to update them, except as may be required by applicable law.

Consolidated Financial Statements

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