Barclays Raises Nucor (NUE) Price Target to $306

Barclays reiterated its Overweight rating on Nucor Corporation $NUE and raised its price target from $295 to $306 on October 19, 2026. The research note outlines the firm's forward-looking view on the steel producer as shares trade below the newly adjusted target.

NUE Nucor Corporation

$256.29 ▲ +52.54% year to date

1M 3M YTD

Daily close · Oct 16, 2026

Barclays's Call on Nucor

On October 19, 2026, Barclays maintained its Overweight rating on the steel manufacturer and lifted its target to $306 from $295. Other Wall Street firms have also adjusted their outlooks recently. On September 18, 2026, Freedom Broker downgraded the stock to Hold with a target of $285, down from $305. On the same day, Wells Fargo maintained an Overweight rating and adjusted its target to $280 from $285. Later, on October 5, 2026, Keybanc kept an Overweight rating while moving its target to $286 from $288. JP Morgan also maintained an Overweight rating on October 9, 2026, and lowered its target to $296 from $308. Across the wider analyst community, the stock holds a consensus buy rating with a mean target price of $285.

Other Institutional Activity in Nucor

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co held 24,206,873 shares worth about $6,311,458,263 in its report filed for the period ending June 30, 2026, making no change to its position.

Nucor Corporation Stock Holds Steady

Nucor shares recently traded around $256.29 as of October 19, 2026, down about 1.7% from the day's close of $260.73. The stock sits about 8.5% below its 52-week high of $280.11 and well above its 52-week low of $133.78. The company has a market capitalization of roughly $59.15 billion and a trailing P/E ratio of 20.79.

Recent Earnings

For its trailing twelve months, Nucor posted $36.1 billion in revenue and earnings of $12.54 per share. The company generated a net margin of 8.0% and a return on equity of 14.5%, with year-over-year revenue growth coming in at 23.0%. The company is scheduled to release its next earnings report on October 26, 2026.

Dividend

Nucor pays an annual dividend rate of $2.24 per share, translating to a dividend yield of 0.87%. The payout ratio stands at 17.8% of earnings.

Insider Buying and Selling at Nucor Corporation

Company insiders have completed several stock sales ahead of the autumn reporting season. On July 30, 2026, President Stephen D. Laxton sold 3,968 shares at an average price of $256.96 for a total value of $1,019,617. Shortly after, on August 3, 2026, officer Thomas J. Batterbee sold 4,000 shares at $261.02 each, totaling $1,044,062. Chief Executive Officer Leon J. Topalian sold 26,000 shares on August 14, 2026, valued at $6,981,547. On the same date, officer Allen C. Behr sold 7,739 shares for a total of $2,121,578.

About Nucor

Nucor Corporation manufactures and sells steel and steel products. Operating through its steel mills, steel products, and raw materials segments, the company produces a wide array of metal goods used across construction, manufacturing, and industrial markets.

Bottom Line

Investors are watching for Nucor's upcoming earnings report on October 26, 2026, which will provide fresh data on the company's financial performance. Monitoring how the stock tracks relative to analyst price targets will also remain a key focus for market participants.