Virtu Financial LLC Takes Position in Nucor Co. (NYSE:NUE)

Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Nucor Co. (NYSE:NUE) during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm bought 22,625 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,640,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in Nucor during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Nucor during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Nucor by 60.3% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 303 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC grew its position in Nucor by 29.1% during the fourth quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 417 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC acquired a new stake in Nucor during the fourth quarter worth about $50,000. 76.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Nucor Stock Performance

NYSE:NUE opened at $122.02 on Friday. Nucor Co. has a 1 year low of $112.25 and a 1 year high of $203.00. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $130.65 and a 200-day moving average of $137.75. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.58.

Nucor (NYSE:NUE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 27th. The basic materials company reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.16 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Nucor Co. will post 7.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Nucor Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.55 dividend. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.80%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Nucor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.16%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NUE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group lifted 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. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Nucor from $240.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Nucor from $150.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Argus set a $155.00 price target on shares of Nucor in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Nucor from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. 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 data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.33.

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.