Nucor Sets Steel Shipments Record
07/30/2026 - Nucor Corp. nearly doubled its second-quarter profits, set a new all-time mill shipments record and is bringing its West Virginia sheet mill to life.
Supported by widespread health among end-use segments, Nucor mills shipped 7.1 million tons of steel during the second quarter, besting the all-time record of 7 million tons it set just three months ago.
“We're seeing strength across all of our product categories and are benefiting from the investments we've made to grow our core steelmaking capabilities over the past few years,” Nucor chairman and chief executive officer Leon Topalian told investors during the company’s second-quarter earnings call.
“And even as our shipments grow, our backlogs continue to build. This reflects the business momentum we are seeing from our customers across a broad set of sectors in the economy. Our team is executing at a very high level right now,” he said.
For the quarter, Nucor posted net earnings of US$1.2 billion, or US$5.04 per diluted share, on net sales of US$10.4 billion. In the same quarter last year, the company reported net earnings of US$603 million, or US$2.60 per diluted share, on net sales of US$7.2 billion.
“The strength we see across the broad set of end markets is very encouraging,” Nucor president and chief operating officer Stephen Laxton said.
In another development, Laxton said Nucor’s West Virginia sheet mill reached new milestones during the quarter. In June, the new mill’s pickling line processed its first coil. And earlier this month, commissioning of the meltshop and two galvanizing lines got underway.
“Later this year, we will expand that to the cold mill and hot mill, keeping us on track to complete commissioning, inspection and testing of equipment across the mill by the end of the year,” Laxton said.
He said Nucor remains on track to complete commissioning, inspection and testing of equipment across the mill by the end of this year.
“We're seeing strength across all of our product categories and are benefiting from the investments we've made to grow our core steelmaking capabilities over the past few years,” Nucor chairman and chief executive officer Leon Topalian told investors during the company’s second-quarter earnings call.
“And even as our shipments grow, our backlogs continue to build. This reflects the business momentum we are seeing from our customers across a broad set of sectors in the economy. Our team is executing at a very high level right now,” he said.
For the quarter, Nucor posted net earnings of US$1.2 billion, or US$5.04 per diluted share, on net sales of US$10.4 billion. In the same quarter last year, the company reported net earnings of US$603 million, or US$2.60 per diluted share, on net sales of US$7.2 billion.
“The strength we see across the broad set of end markets is very encouraging,” Nucor president and chief operating officer Stephen Laxton said.
In another development, Laxton said Nucor’s West Virginia sheet mill reached new milestones during the quarter. In June, the new mill’s pickling line processed its first coil. And earlier this month, commissioning of the meltshop and two galvanizing lines got underway.
“Later this year, we will expand that to the cold mill and hot mill, keeping us on track to complete commissioning, inspection and testing of equipment across the mill by the end of the year,” Laxton said.
He said Nucor remains on track to complete commissioning, inspection and testing of equipment across the mill by the end of this year.
