CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) today announced guidance for its fourth quarter ending December 31, 2025. Nucor expects fourth quarter earnings to be in the range of $1.65 to $1.75 per diluted share. Nucor reported net earnings of $2.63 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2025 and $1.22 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Fourth Quarter of 2025 Commentary

Earnings in the fourth quarter of 2025 are expected to decrease across all three of our operating segments as compared to the third quarter of 2025, driven by seasonal effects and fewer shipping days in Nucor's fiscal quarter. The steel mills segment earnings are projected to decrease due to lower volumes and margin compression, primarily in sheet. In the steel products segments, earnings are expected to decline on lower volumes and higher average costs per ton, partially offset by higher average realized pricing. The raw materials segment is expected to have lower earnings, mainly as a result of two scheduled outages at our DRI facilities.

Capital Returns

During the fourth quarter, Nucor has repurchased approximately 0.7 million shares at an average price of $145.23 per share (approximately 5.4 million shares year-to-date at an average price of $128.66 per share). Nucor has returned approximately $1.2 billion to stockholders in the form of share repurchases and dividend payments year-to-date.

2026 Outlook

As we look ahead into 2026, we are encouraged by backlogs that are materially higher than they were a year ago at this time, reflecting continuing momentum in select construction market segments such as energy, infrastructure, data centers and manufacturing. We are also optimistic that monetary, tax and trade policy will lead to continued gradual improvement in business conditions for Nucor.

Fourth Quarter of 2025 Earnings Release and Conference Call

Nucor plans to release its earnings after the markets close on Monday, January 26, 2026, and will host a conference call the morning of Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to review the Company's fourth quarter results. The event will be broadcast on the internet, and instructions on how to access will be sent closer to the call.

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.

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, 2024. 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.

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SOURCE Nucor Corporation

Nucor Announces Guidance for the Fourth Quarter of 2025 Earnings