Nucor (NUE): Strong Shipments, but Q3 Guidance Raises Earnings Questions

On September 17, Freedom Broker downgraded Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) from Buy to Hold and lowered its price target from $305 to $285. This update comes after the company issued Q3 2026 earnings guidance of $5.55 to $5.65 per diluted share.Nucor (NUE) Downgraded to Hold After Q3 Guidance Disappoints Stocks The midpoint of the guidance, at $5.60 per share, represents a 113% increase from the $2.63 per share reported in the third quarter of 2025. However, the outlook was well below Freedom Broker's previous estimate of $7.54 per share and also came in below Street expectations, which ranged from $5.99 to $6.20 per share.