Head-to-head · Stock vs Stock
Nucor vs Steel Dynamics
vs
NUE vs STLD: the verdict
How NUE and STLD compare today, and what CleaRank Financial AI makes of it.
The verdict
CleaRank Financial AI favours
NUE
NUE
STLD
79/100
AI score
70/100
+79.8%
1-year change
+54.9%
42.5%
Volatility (30d, yearly)
42.2%
48.4
RSI (14-day)
47.8
16.1x
P/E ratio
17.1x
0.87%
Dividend yield
0.89%
The verdict
Nucor (NUE) comes out ahead on CleaRank's model, scoring 79/100 (Buy) against 70/100 (Buy) for Steel Dynamics (STLD). The widest gap is the trend: for NUE, the price is 13.05% above its 200-day average and 0.47% above its 50-day average, and the 50-day average is 12.53% above the 200-day.
Outlook
NUE's uptrend holds while it stays above its 50-day average at $255.28 and its 200-day at $226.85. STLD sits between its 50-day average at $238.30 and its 200-day at $225.94.
Price, side by side
Both prices start at 0% on the first day of the period you pick, so the moves compare directly.
Rebased price
-5%0%+5%+10%+2.5%-0.9%
Nov '26
-15%-10%-5%0%-5.7%-10%
Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
0%+10%+20%+12%+1.4%
Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
0%+20%+40%+60%+80%+100%+80%+55%
Dec '25Feb '26Apr '26Jul '26Sep '26Nov '26
0%+50%+100%+150%+107%+78%
Oct '24Mar '25Aug '25Jan '26Jun '26Nov '26
Over 1 year: NUE gained 79.8% and STLD gained 54.9%, a gap of 24.9 points in NUE's favour.
Valuation and profitability
What each costs relative to its earnings and sales, and how much of its revenue it keeps.
Side by side
Valuation
Lower multiples mean you pay less for each dollar of earnings or sales.
NUE
STLD
$58.2B
Market cap
$33.6B
16.1x
P/E ratio
17.1x
1.5x
Price / sales
1.5x
2.5x
Price / book
3.3x
9.1x
EV / EBITDA
11.2x
Profitability
How much of each dollar of revenue becomes profit, and how hard the capital works.
NUE
STLD
+21.3%
Revenue growth (quarter, y/y)
+34.8%
9.2%
Net margin
8.8%
17.6%
Return on equity
20.8%
8.8%
Return on assets
9.4%
0.29
Debt / equity
0.45
On valuation
Judged on trailing earnings, STLD is the more expensive of the two, with a P/E of 17.07 against 16.06 for NUE. Both carry a discount to peers, measured against a Basic Materials median of 30.2. On sales the gap runs the other way: STLD is valued higher, at 1.51 times sales against 1.50 for NUE. NUE is the bigger company by market value, at $58.2B against $33.6B.
On profitability
NUE keeps more of its sales as profit, with a net margin of 9.26% against 8.82%. STLD earns the higher return on equity, 20.81% against 17.58%. In the latest quarter, year on year, revenue grew 21.28% at NUE and grew 34.80% at STLD. NUE has a trailing dividend yield of 0.87%. STLD has a trailing dividend yield of 0.89%.
Earnings reality check
NUE
NUE beat the estimate in 6 of its last 8 reports (latest Oct '26); the shares fell in the first session after 1 of those beats.
Surprise
Next session
Apr '25Oct '25Apr '26Oct '26
STLD
STLD beat the estimate in 4 of its last 7 reports (latest Oct '26); the shares fell in the first session after 2 of those beats.
Surprise
Next session
Jan '25Jul '25Apr '26Oct '26
Momentum and sentiment
The indicators behind each AI score, side by side.
Indicators side by side
NUE
STLD
79/100
AI score
70/100
48.4
RSI (14-day)
47.8
+0.5%
Price against 50-day average
-0.9%
+13.1%
Price against 200-day average
+4.5%
Technicals
NUE is in an uptrend, trading 0.47% above its 50-day average and 13.05% above its 200-day average. Its 14-day RSI is 48.4, in the neutral zone, with the MACD line positive. STLD is in a mixed trend, trading 0.92% below its 50-day average and 4.51% above its 200-day average. Its 14-day RSI is 47.8, in the neutral zone, with the MACD line negative. NUE sits higher in its 52-week range, at 78% against 62% for STLD.
Sentiment
Of the 17 analysts covering NUE, 14 rate it buy, 2 hold and 1 sell; their median target is $300.50, 17.2% above the price. Of the 14 analysts covering STLD, 9 rate it buy, 4 hold and 1 sell; their median target is $273.50, 15.8% above the price.
Risk and practical tips
How much each moves, how much return each has paid for that risk, and what to watch if you hold either.
Risk measures
NUE
STLD
42.5%
Volatility (30d, yearly)
42.2%
1.82
Beta against the S&P 500
1.44
0.78
Sharpe ratio
0.96
Risk
They move about the same on a typical day, 2.35% for NUE and 2.37% for STLD. Against the S&P 500, NUE has a beta of 1.82 and STLD 1.44. Their worst falls in the price history were 56.5% for NUE (January 2018 to March 2020) and 63.3% for STLD (May 2018 to March 2020). The measures disagree, so neither is clearly the riskier of the two.
ProTips
- For NUE, watch the 20-day EMA at $259.15 above the price and the 50-day SMA at $255.28 below it.
- For STLD, watch the 50-day SMA at $238.30 above the price and the 200-day SMA at $225.94 below it.
NUE vs STLD: long-term scenarios
Simulated paths from each price history. A range of outcomes, not a forecast.
Simulated growth of $10,000
$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K$120K$113K$90.4K$24.7K$22.5K
202620282030203220342035
NUE
STLD
$5,612
Downside, 2035 (10th)
$5,400
$22,527
Base case, 2035 (median)
$24,658
$90,427
Upside, 2035 (90th)
$112,592
In the median simulated path, $10,000 in NUE grows to about $22,500 and $10,000 in STLD grows to about $24,700 by 2035. The paths come from each asset's own volatility and capped historical trend; they are statistical outcomes, not forecasts. NUE and STLD's upside columns reach an extreme multiple of the starting amount; treat them as a statistical tail, not a likely outcome.
NUE vs STLD: questions people ask
Answered from the figures on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, NUE or STLD?+
On CleaRank's model NUE scores higher, 79/100 (Buy) against 70/100 (Buy) for STLD. This describes the data on this page and is not a personal recommendation.
Which has performed better over the past year, NUE or STLD?+
NUE has done better: its price rose 79.78% over the past year, while STLD rose 54.90%.
Which is cheaper on earnings, NUE or STLD?+
NUE's trailing P/E is lower, at 16.06, compared with 17.07 for STLD.
Which pays more income, NUE or STLD?+
STLD yields more, at 0.89% against 0.87% for NUE. Yield is the payout divided by the price, so it moves whenever either of those changes.
Which is riskier, NUE or STLD?+
Neither is clearly riskier: the measures point different ways. Average daily move: 2.35% for NUE, 2.37% for STLD. Beta against the S&P 500: 1.82 for NUE, 1.44 for STLD. Worst fall in the price history: 56.5% for NUE, 63.3% for STLD.
Which has stronger momentum right now, NUE or STLD?+
NUE has the higher 14-day RSI, 48.4 (neutral) against 47.8 (neutral) for STLD. The MACD line is positive for NUE and negative for STLD. Readings above 70 or below 30 mark stretched momentum.
Which is the bigger company, NUE or STLD?+
By market value NUE is the bigger company, at $58.2B compared with $33.6B for STLD.
What do analysts say about NUE and STLD?+
NUE has 14 buy ratings out of 17 analysts, and its median target is 17.2% above the price. STLD has 9 buy ratings out of 14, with a median target 15.8% above its price.
How would $10,000 have grown in NUE or STLD?+
Invested in December 2016, $10,000 would be worth $51,097 today in NUE and $79,596 in STLD.