Nucor (NUE), a leading player in the basic materials sector, has received a fresh Buy rating from J.P. Morgan analyst Bill Peterson. In a recent report, Peterson maintained his optimistic stance on the stock, setting a price target of $296.00. Peterson, a 4-star analyst with a 6.7% average return and a 47.97% success rate, focuses on companies like Cleveland-Cliffs and Steel Dynamics within the sector.
The positive outlook for Nucor is not limited to J.P. Morgan. Goldman Sachs analyst Nick Cash also issued a Buy rating in a report released the day before. However, the sentiment is not unanimous, as Morgan Stanley assigned a Hold rating to Nucor on September 25.
Nucor's latest earnings report for the quarter ending June 30 shows strong financial performance. The company reported quarterly revenue of $10.4 billion and a net profit of $1.16 billion. This marks significant growth compared to the same period last year, when revenue was $8.46 billion and net profit was $603 million.
Despite the positive analyst ratings, insider sentiment appears to be negative. Over the past quarter, there has been an increase in insiders selling their shares. Most recently, in August 2026, Leon J Topalian, the Chair and CEO of Nucor, sold 26,000 shares for a total of $6,981,339.56.