Nucor: Reports Results for the Second Quarter of 2025

Imagery Source: Wikimedia Commons / Joe Mabel
Information Source: Nucor Corporation
Second Quarter of 2025 Highlights
  • Net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders of $603 million, or $2.60 per diluted share.
  • Net sales of $8.46 billion.
  • Net earnings before noncontrolling interests of $706 million; EBITDA of $1.30 billion.
Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) today announced consolidated net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders of $603 million, or $2.60 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025. By comparison, Nucor reported consolidated net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders of $156 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025 and $645 million, or $2.68 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2024.
In the first six months of 2025, Nucor reported consolidated net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders of $759 million, or $3.26 per diluted share, compared with consolidated net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders of $1.49 billion, or $6.14 per diluted share, in the first six months of 2024.
"Our team delivered a solid second quarter, with sequential earnings growth from all three of Nucor's reporting segments, and did so while setting another safety record in the first half of 2025," said Leon Topalian, Nucor's Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer. "As we head into the second half of 2025, we are encouraged by resilient demand across key end markets, a healthy order backlog and recently enacted tax and trade policies that promote American manufacturing."
Financial Review Nucor's consolidated net sales increased 8% to $8.46 billion in the second quarter of 2025 compared with $7.83 billion in the first quarter of 2025 and increased 5% compared with $8.08 billion in the second quarter of 2024. Average sales price per ton in the second quarter of 2025 increased 8% compared with the first quarter of 2025 and decreased 3% compared with the second quarter of 2024. A total of approximately 6,820,000 tons were shipped to outside customers in the second quarter of 2025, which was comparable with the first quarter of 2025 and was an 8% increase compared with the second quarter of 2024. Total steel mill shipments in the second quarter of 2025 were comparable to the first quarter of 2025 and increased 10% compared to the second quarter of 2024. Steel mill shipments to internal customers represented 22% of total steel mill shipments in the second quarter of 2025, compared with 19% in the first quarter of 2025 and 21% in the second quarter of 2024. Downstream steel product shipments to outside customers in the second quarter of 2025 increased 9% compared with the first quarter of 2025 and increased 6% compared with the second quarter of 2024.
In the first six months of 2025, Nucor's consolidated net sales of $16.29 billion were comparable to consolidated net sales of $16.21 billion reported in the first six months of 2024. Total tons shipped to outside customers in the first six months of 2025 were approximately 13,650,000 tons, an increase of 9% compared with the first six months of 2024, and the average sales price per ton in the first six months of 2025 decreased 8% compared with the first six months of 2024.
The average scrap and scrap substitute cost per gross ton used in the second quarter of 2025 was $403, a 2% increase compared to $394 in the first quarter of 2025 and $396 in the second quarter of 2024. The average scrap and scrap substitute cost per gross ton used in the first six months of 2025 was $398, a 3% decrease compared to $409 in the first six months of 2024.
Pre-operating and start-up costs related to the Company's growth projects were approximately $136 million, or $0.45 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2025, compared with approximately $170 million, or $0.56 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2025 and approximately $137 million, or $0.43 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2024.
In the first six months of 2025, pre-operating and start-up costs related to the Company's growth projects were approximately $306 million, or $1.00 per diluted share, compared with approximately $262 million, or $0.82 per diluted share, in the first six months of 2024.
Overall operating rates at the Company's steel mills increased to 85% in the second quarter of 2025 as compared to 80% in the first quarter of 2025 and 75% in the second quarter of 2024. Operating rates in the first six months of 2025 increased to 82% as compared to 79% in the first six months of 2024.
Financial Strength At the end of the second quarter of 2025, we had $2.48 billion in cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments on hand. The Company's $2.25 billion revolving credit facility remains undrawn and does not expire until March 2030. Nucor continues to have the strongest credit ratings in the North American steel sector (A-/A-/Baa1) with stable outlooks at Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings and a positive outlook at Moody's.
Commitment to Returning Capital to Stockholders During the second quarter of 2025, Nucor repurchased approximately 1.8 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $111.89 per share (approximately 4.0 million shares during the first six months of 2025 at an average price of $123.75 per share). As of July 5, 2025, Nucor had approximately $606 million remaining authorised and available for repurchases under its share repurchase program. This share repurchase authorisation is discretionary and has no scheduled expiration date.
On June 10, 2025, Nucor's Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.55 per share. This cash dividend is payable on August 11, 2025, to stockholders of record as of June 30, 2025 and is Nucor's 209th consecutive quarterly cash dividend.
Second Quarter of 2025 Analysis Earnings in the second quarter of 2025 increased across all three of our operating segments as compared to the first quarter of 2025. The increase in earnings for the steel mills segment was primarily due to higher average selling prices at our sheet and plate mills. Earnings in the steel products segment increased in the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the first quarter of 2025 due to a combination of stable overall pricing, higher volumes and lower average costs per ton. The raw materials segment had increased earnings in the second quarter of 2025 as compared to the first quarter of 2025 due primarily to our scrap processing operations.
Third Quarter of 2025 Outlook We expect earnings in the third quarter of 2025 to be nominally lower than the second quarter of 2025, due to decreased earnings in the steel mills segment and similar earnings in the steel products and raw materials segments. In the steel mills segment, despite resilient backlogs and a stable demand outlook, we expect margin compression in the third quarter of 2025 as compared to the second quarter of 2025.
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Nucor Corporation
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