NUE vs STLD vs PKX Stock Comparison

Nucor, Steel Dynamics and Posco Holdings Prices as of Oct 23, 2026 Peers: Industry group
NUE Nucor Corp
$258.10 +4.4% 1M +86.4% 1Y
Market cap
$58.78B
P/E
20.4x
Revenue (TTM)
$36.10B
Div. yield
0.01%
Steel Basic Materials
4 wins
STLD Steel Dynamics Inc
$241.53 +3.1% 1M +60.3% 1Y
Market cap
$34.00B
P/E
17.4x
Revenue (TTM)
$22.22B
Div. yield
0.01%
Steel Basic Materials
5 wins
PKX Posco Holdings Inc.
$51.39 -8.8% 1M -4.4% 1Y
Market cap
$3.83B
P/E
4.0x
Revenue (TTM)
$37.16B
Div. yield
–
Steel Basic Materials
3 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Steel Dynamics leads on 5 of the 12 questions below (Steel Dynamics 5, Nucor 4, Posco Holdings 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionNUESTLDPKXLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $58.78B $34.00B $3.83B NUE
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 20.4x 17.4x 4.0x PKX
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 12.9x 14.1x 10.7x PKX
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +17.2% +26.0% -27.8% STLD
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 8.0% 8.8% 2.5% STLD
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 11.0% 14.6% 3.0% STLD
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 0.8x 1.0x — NUE
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.01% 0.01% 0.00% STLD
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +86.4% +60.3% -4.4% NUE
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +20.3%/yr +30.7%/yr -4.6%/yr STLD
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 31.8% 36.0% 45.1% NUE
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 55/100 58/100 68/100 PKX

Percentile Scorecard

NUESTLDPKX

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisNUESTLDPKX
Valuation 74 #43 of 162 67 #54 of 162 88 #21 of 162
Growth 51 #73 of 147 52 #71 of 147 40 #89 of 147
Profitability 65 #43 of 122 65 #44 of 122 50 #61 of 122
Financial Health 40 #100 of 166 37 #105 of 166 79 #36 of 166
Shareholder Returns 47 #57 of 107 67 #36 of 107 85 #17 of 107
Overall 55 58 68
  • NUE ranked among 176 companies in Metals and Mining
  • STLD ranked among 176 companies in Metals and Mining
  • PKX ranked among 176 companies in Metals and Mining

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodNUESTLDPKXSPY
1 month +4.4%+3.1%-8.8% -1.0%
3 months +4.2%-2.3%-1.8% +2.9%
6 months +20.4%+6.5%-26.7% +6.4%
Year to date +58.2%+42.5%-3.4% +11.4%
1 year +86.4%+60.3%-4.4% +13.1%
3 years +75.4%+137.7%-42.0% +79.4%
3 years, per year +20.6%+33.5%-16.6% +21.5%
5 years +152.2%+280.4%-21.1% +67.7%
5 years, per year +20.3%+30.7%-4.6% +10.9%
10 years +439.2%+816.6%-3.8% +255.2%
10 years, per year +18.4%+24.8%-0.4% +13.5%

Risk

MeasureNUESTLDPKXSPY
Volatility, 1Y 31.8%36.0%45.1% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 32.0%36.5%43.2% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.901.071.43 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 2.721.67-0.10 1.03
Max drawdown, 5Y -48.6%-32.5%-69.8% -25.4%
From 52-week high -6.0%-14.6%-44.0% -2.5%
52-week high $274.65$282.76$91.72 $779.14
52-week low $138.45$150.72$48.69 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleNUESTLDPKX
P/E now vs peer median 20.4xmedian 12.7x 17.7xmedian 12.7x 4.1xmedian 12.7x
P/S now vs peer median 1.6xmedian 3.1x 1.5xmedian 3.1x 0.1xmedian 3.1x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 11.1xmedian 6.9x 11.7xmedian 6.9x —median 6.9x
P/FCF now vs peer median 37.0xmedian 15.1x 31.4xmedian 15.1x -0.9xmedian 15.1x
P/B now vs peer median 2.5xmedian 2.1x 3.5xmedian 2.1x 0.1xmedian 2.1x
PEG now vs peer median -1.19median 0.27 -3.18median 0.27 -15.95median 0.27

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsNUESTLDPKX
Revenue $36.10B $22.22B $37.16B
Gross profit $5.59B $3.53B $3.86B
Operating income $4.17B $2.56B $1.39B
Net income $3.26B $1.95B $1.47B
Free cash flow $1.58B $1.09B -$4.45B
EPS (diluted) $12.62 $13.58 $12.52
Cash & equivalents $2.48B $928.56M –
Total debt $28.20B $4.20B $749.60M
Shares (diluted) 228.50M 143.62M 75.62M
Enterprise value $48.16B $30.81B $3.83B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricNUESTLDPKX
P/E 20.4x 17.7x 4.1x
P/FCF 37.0x 31.4x -0.9x
P/Operating cash flow 13.2x 20.3x –
P/S 1.6x 1.5x 0.1x
P/B 2.5x 3.5x 0.1x
P/Tangible book 2.9x 3.6x 0.1x
EV/EBITDA 11.1x 11.7x –
EV/EBIT 15.1x 14.7x 3.3x
EV/Revenue 1.7x 1.7x 0.1x
EV/FCF 39.8x 34.3x -1.0x
EV/Operating cash flow 14.2x 22.2x –
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -1.19 -3.18 -15.95

Growth

14 metrics
MetricNUESTLDPKX
Revenue growth (1Y) 17.2% 26.0% -27.8%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -1.2% 4.6% -15.1%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 73.8% 53.3% 0.1%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -16.1% -6.4% -2.3%
Operating income growth (1Y) 94.4% 82.1% 49.9%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -18.5% -9.0% -38.2%
Net income growth (1Y) 106.1% 72.3% 297.8%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -18.2% -10.0% 7.9%
EPS growth (1Y) 124.8% 77.0% 163.2%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -17.1% -5.6% -0.3%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 41.3% 11.2% –
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -19.5% -23.6% –
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 511.2% 252.0% 27.9%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -37.3% -22.1% -34.8%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricNUESTLDPKX
Gross margin 15.5% 15.9% 10.4%
EBITDA margin 15.7% 14.4% –
Operating margin 11.5% 11.5% 3.7%
Pretax margin 11.4% 11.2% 3.5%
Net margin 8.0% 8.8% 2.5%
FCF margin 4.4% 4.9% -12.0%
Operating cash flow margin 12.3% 7.6% –
Return on equity 14.2% 20.5% 3.4%
Return on assets 9.0% 11.2% 3.1%
Return on invested capital 11.0% 14.6% 3.0%
Return on capital employed 13.4% 17.1% 4.1%
Asset turnover 1.0x 1.3x 1.1x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.4x 0.9x –
Stock comp / revenue 0.2% 0.3% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricNUESTLDPKX
Debt / assets 19.2% 23.6% 2.2%
Debt / equity 0.3x 0.4x 0.0x
Net debt / EBITDA 0.8x 1.0x –
Debt / FCF 4.5x 3.8x -0.2x
Liabilities / assets 37.0% 44.8% 7.7%
Equity / assets 63.0% 55.2% 92.3%
Interest coverage 28.7x 18.4x 0.5x
Current ratio 2.5x 3.1x –
Quick ratio 1.3x 1.4x –
Cash ratio 0.5x 0.4x –
Altman Z-score 5.43 6.02 –

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricNUESTLDPKX
Dividend yield 0.9% 0.9% 3.0%
Net buyback yield 1.1% 2.4% –
Shareholder yield 2.0% 3.3% 3.0%
Payout ratio (earnings) 15.7% 15.3% –
Payout ratio (FCF) 32.3% 27.2% –
Dividend growth (1Y) -0.8% 3.4% –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) -0.6% 4.4% –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusNUESTLDPKX
Forward P/E 12.9xFY2026 14.1xFY2026 10.7xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $20.03FY2026 $17.14FY2026 $4.79FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +159.8%FY2026 +114.5%FY2026 +237.3%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +6.5% +19.7% +15.0%
Revenue, next fiscal year $39.95BFY2026 $22.75BFY2026 $51.81BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +22.9%FY2026 +25.2%FY2026 +6.9%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +8.6% +15.4% +3.5%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersNUESTLDPKX
Held by institutions 79.2% 82.7% 17.7%
Institutions holding 1,541 1,022 181
Change in shares held, QoQ +2.2% +1.2% +38.2%
Institutions buying 751 501 131
Institutions selling 516 370 30
Buyers to sellers 1.46 1.35 4.37

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

NUESTLDPKX
NUE 1.00 0.88 0.30
STLD 0.88 1.00 0.28
PKX 0.30 0.28 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, NUE, STLD and PKX?

Nucor (NUE) is the largest by market capitalisation: Nucor (NUE) $58.78B, Steel Dynamics (STLD) $34.00B, Posco Holdings (PKX) $3.83B.

Which stock is cheaper, NUE, STLD and PKX?

Posco Holdings (PKX) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Nucor (NUE) 20.4x, Steel Dynamics (STLD) 17.4x, Posco Holdings (PKX) 4.0x). On next year's consensus earnings, Posco Holdings (PKX) is cheapest (Nucor (NUE) 12.9x, Steel Dynamics (STLD) 14.1x, Posco Holdings (PKX) 10.7x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Steel Dynamics (STLD) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Nucor (NUE) +17.2%, Steel Dynamics (STLD) +26.0%, Posco Holdings (PKX) -27.8%.

Which company is more profitable?

Steel Dynamics (STLD) has the highest net margin (Nucor (NUE) 8.0%, Steel Dynamics (STLD) 8.8%, Posco Holdings (PKX) 2.5%). On return on invested capital, Steel Dynamics (STLD) leads (Nucor (NUE) 11.0%, Steel Dynamics (STLD) 14.6%, Posco Holdings (PKX) 3.0%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Nucor (NUE) returned the most: Nucor (NUE) +86.4%, Steel Dynamics (STLD) +60.3%, Posco Holdings (PKX) -4.4%. Over five years, Steel Dynamics (STLD) compounded fastest (Nucor (NUE) +20.3%/yr, Steel Dynamics (STLD) +30.7%/yr, Posco Holdings (PKX) -4.6%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Steel Dynamics (STLD) has the highest dividend yield: Nucor (NUE) 0.01%, Steel Dynamics (STLD) 0.01%, Posco Holdings (PKX) 0.00%. Posco Holdings (PKX) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Nucor (NUE) has been the steadiest (Nucor (NUE) 31.8%, Steel Dynamics (STLD) 36.0%, Posco Holdings (PKX) 45.1%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, NUE, STLD and PKX?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Steel Dynamics (STLD) leads on 5. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.