Nucor Co. (NYSE:NUE) Stock Holdings Trimmed by Sigma Planning Corp

Sigma Planning Corp decreased its holdings in Nucor Co. (NYSE:NUE) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,121 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 180 shares during the quarter. Sigma Planning Corp’s holdings in Nucor were worth $831,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Nucor in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Coastline Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Nucor during the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its stake in shares of Nucor by 45.6% in the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 230 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Nucor in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nucor during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 76.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NUE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Nucor from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. StockNews.com upgraded Nucor from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Nucor from $166.00 to $154.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Nucor in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $190.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Nucor from $240.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.13.

Nucor Price Performance

NYSE NUE opened at $136.01 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Nucor Co. has a 1 year low of $112.25 and a 1 year high of $203.00. The company has a market cap of $31.94 billion, a PE ratio of 16.17, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.60. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $125.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $139.65.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, January 27th. The basic materials company reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.28. Nucor had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 9.85%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.16 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Nucor Co. will post 7.64 EPS for the current year.

Nucor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.62%. Nucor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.16%.

Nucor Profile

Nucor Corporation engages in manufacture and sale of steel and steel products. It operates in three segments: steel mills, steel products, and raw materials. The Steel Mills segment produces hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized sheet steel products; plate steel products; wide-flange beams, beam blanks, and H-piling and sheet piling structural steel products; bar steel products, such as blooms, billets, concrete reinforcing and merchant bars, and engineered special bar quality products; and engages in the steel trading and rebar distribution businesses.