Nucor

What Nucor does

Nucor Corporation is the largest steel producer in North America, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and publicly traded on the NYSE under ticker NUE. Founded in 1940, the company manufactures steel and metal products and provides rebar fabrication and installation services for construction and infrastructure applications. Nucor operates across three primary segments: steel mills, steel products, and raw materials, with key operating assets including Nucor Yamato (specializing in beam production) and the Berkeley beam mill, both of which carried record backlogs in Q2 2026.

The company reported Q2 2026 net sales of $10.40 billion, a 23% year-over-year increase, with net earnings of $1.16 billion (up 92% YoY) and record steel shipments of 7.1 million tons at an average external sales price of $1,145 per net ton. Nucor's business model is sales-led and B2B, generating revenue primarily through direct sales of commodity-grade steel products to industrial customers, construction firms, and manufacturers across key U.S. economic sectors. The steel mills segment is the dominant profit contributor, with Q2 2026 segment profit surging nearly 85% YoY to $1.56 billion.

Nucor's domestic competitive position has been materially strengthened by Trump administration Section 232 tariffs that reduced imported steel's share of U.S. demand from approximately 30% to 15%, creating a regulatory moat. The company also holds a strategic investment in Helion Energy (partnered in 2023) to develop a 500-megawatt nuclear fusion plant targeting operations by 2030, representing its first move into next-generation clean energy supply for operations. With $2.69 billion in cash and short-term investments at quarter-end and $479 million returned to shareholders through dividends and buybacks in Q2 2026, Nucor maintains a strong balance sheet and an active capital return program.

Name

Nucor

Legal name

Nucor Corporation

Website

https://nrfab.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Nucor Corporation is North America's largest steel producer, manufacturing steel and metal products for construction, infrastructure, and industrial customers. The publicly traded company operates steel mills, steel products, and raw materials segments, selling directly to U.S. construction and manufacturing firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Steel Manufacturing

NAICS

Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing (3311), Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel (3312)

SIC

Steel Works, Blast Furnaces & Rolling & Finishing Mills (3310)

akta.pro primary industry

Hot Rolling & Primary Mills (Plate, Hot-Rolled Coil/Sheet, Strip) (IMAKABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Steel Service Centers & Processing (Slitting, Cut-to-Length, Blanking, Leveling) (IMAKABAL), Coated & Plated Steel (Galvanized, Galvalume, Tinplate, Electrogalvanized, Color-Coated) (IMAKABAG)

Keywords

• Steel manufacturing
• Steel products
• Rebar fabrication
• Steel construction
• Metal production

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Steel Products Sales: Nucor generates revenue primarily through manufacturing and selling steel products, including steel mill shipments. The company reported record steel shipments of 7.1 million tons in Q2 2026, with revenue of $10.40 billion for the quarter. Steel mills segment profit surged nearly 85% year-over-year to $1.56 billion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Nucor manufactures and sells steel products through three primary segments—steel mills, steel products, and raw materials—serving construction, manufacturing, and industrial customers across the U.S. Its steel mills segment produced record shipments of 7.1 million tons in Q2 2026, with key operations including Nucor Yamato and the Berkeley beam mill, both of which carry record backlogs. The company also provides downstream steel fabrication (rebar fabrication and installation) for construction and infrastructure projects.

Product overview

Nucor is the largest steel producer in North America, operating across three primary segments: steel mills, steel products, and raw materials. Key operations include Nucor Yamato (specializing in beam production) and the Berkeley beam mill, both of which achieved record backlogs in Q2 2026. The company also holds a strategic investment in Helion Energy for nuclear fusion development targeting a 500-megawatt plant by 2030.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Steel Mill Products Core steel manufacturing output sold to industrial customers, construction firms, and manufacturers across the U.S.; includes hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and structural steel produced by Nucor's steel mills segment. Record shipments reached 7.1 million tons in Q2 2026.
• Steel Products (Beams and Rebar) Downstream fabricated steel products including structural beams produced at Nucor Yamato and the Berkeley beam mill, and rebar fabrication and installation services for construction and infrastructure projects. Both operations carried record backlogs in Q2 2026.
• Raw Materials Raw materials segment supporting Nucor's steelmaking operations, including scrap and other inputs used across the steel mills and steel products segments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% year-over-year increase in net earnings
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HelioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Nucor partnered with Helion in 2023 to develop a 500-megawatt nuclear fusion plant targeting operations by 2030. The company recorded a $61 million non-cash benefit from its investment in Helion during Q2 2026. This partnership represents Nucor's investment in next-generation clean energy technology for its operations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Steel Dynamics: Steel Dynamics (STLD) is a U.S.-based electric arc furnace steel producer and one of Nucor's closest direct competitors. It produces similar flat-rolled and structural steel products for construction, manufacturing, and energy markets, with comparable exposure to domestic pricing and tariff dynamics.
• Commercial Metals Company: Commercial Metals Company (CMC) is a vertically integrated steel producer and metals recycler with strong exposure to construction rebar and structural steel markets — directly comparable to Nucor's steel products and rebar fabrication operations.
• Olympic Steel: Olympic Steel is a U.S. metal service center and steel processor that competes with Nucor in downstream steel processing and distribution to similar end markets including construction and industrial manufacturing.
• United States Steel Corporation: U.S. Steel (X) is an integrated steel producer with significant North American operations, directly competing with Nucor in flat-rolled and tubular steel products. Its 2023 strategic partnership with Nippon Steel and ongoing tariff exposure make it a directly comparable peer across customer segments and regulatory dynamics.
• Cleveland-Cliffs: Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) is the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America and a major direct competitor to Nucor's steel mills segment. It serves overlapping automotive, construction, and manufacturing end markets and is similarly exposed to U.S. tariff policy and domestic commodity pricing.

Regional players

• Algoma Steel: Algoma Steel is a Canadian flat-rolled steel producer primarily serving the North American market. While geographically based in Canada, it competes with Nucor for U.S. customer demand and is similarly affected by Section 232 tariff dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• ArcelorMittal: ArcelorMittal is the world's largest steel producer with significant North American operations. It competes with Nucor across flat-rolled and long products and is similarly exposed to the global steel pricing dynamics that Section 232 tariffs are currently offsetting domestically.
• Gerdau: Gerdau is a major global long steel producer with significant North American operations through Gerdau Ameristeel. It competes directly with Nucor in rebar, structural beams, and long products, though its geographic footprint spans Latin America as well.
• Nippon Steel Corporation: Nippon Steel is one of the world's largest steel producers and has a pending strategic partnership with U.S. Steel. It is a relevant comparison point for Nucor given its global scale, integrated production, and active engagement in U.S. trade and tariff policy.

Emerging players

• Radius Recycling (formerly Schnitzer Steel): Radius Recycling is a major U.S. metal recycler and producer of recycled steel products, providing both raw material feedstock (scrap) to EAF producers like Nucor and finished steel products to adjacent customers. It functions as both a supplier peer and a downstream competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nucor-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nucor