CLF vs NUE Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
CLF is a higher-beta, more leveraged bet on automotive steel demand with vertical integration into iron ore, while NUE is a lower-cost, more diversified, financially conservative EAF steelmaker. NUE has historically offered more balance-sheet safety; CLF offers more torque to an automotive and tariff-driven steel cycle.
CLF vs NUE contrasts a leveraged, automotive-focused integrated steelmaker against a financially disciplined, diversified electric-arc-furnace producer with a lower cost structure.
NUE holds the edge across 5 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. NUE leads on both 1-year return (+85.50%) and forward P/E quality (13.71x vs 22.12x for CLF), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. NUE leads on both revenue growth (23.00%) and operating margin (15.67%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for NUE (+8.33%) than for CLF (-4.80%).
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want concentrated exposure to U.S. automotive steel demand
- Believe steel tariffs and trade protections will persist
- Can tolerate higher financial leverage and earnings volatility
- Prefer a lower-cost, more flexible steel production model
- Want diversified exposure across construction, energy, and infrastructure
- Value balance sheet strength and consistent capital returns
| Metric | CLF | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 36.9 | 67.7 |
| AI ranki | #1540 | #61 |
| Latest closei | $12.76 | $265.14 |
| 1M returni | +7.41% | +0.36% |
| 6M returni | +55.99% | +63.72% |
| 1Y returni | +8.87% | +85.50% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | CLF | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.3K (+13.0%) started 2025-09-17 | $18.57K (+85.7%) started 2025-09-17 |
| 5Y ago | $5.84K (-41.6%) started 2021-09-17 | $30.71K (+207.1%) started 2021-09-20 |
| 10Y ago | $21.85K (+118.5%) started 2016-09-19 | $87.61K (+776.1%) started 2016-09-19 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | CLF | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $7.13B | $59.23B |
| Trailing P/Ei | N/A | 20.84 |
| Forward P/Ei | 22.12 | 13.71 |
| Price/Salesi | N/A | 0.92 |
| EV/Revenuei | 0.78 | 1.79 |
| Analyst targeti | $11.90 | $282.81 |
| Target upsidei | -4.80% | +8.33% |
| Metric | CLF | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 5.90% | 23.00% |
| Earnings growthi | N/A | 93.80% |
| EPS growthi | N/A | +93.80% |
| FCF margini | +0.03% | +1.89% |
| Operating margini | 0.34% | 15.67% |
| Profit margini | -4.56% | 7.99% |
| ROIC proxyi | -13.86% | 14.55% |
| Return on equityi | -13.86% | 14.55% |
| Dividend yieldi | N/A | 0.86% |
| Payout ratioi | 0.00% | 17.80% |
| Dividend growth streaki | N/A | No increase yet |
| Betai | 2.11 | 1.88 |
| Debt/equityi | 132.74 | 30.51 |
| Current ratioi | 1.89 | 2.51 |
| Quick ratioi | 0.59 | 1.28 |
Over the past year, CLF and NUE have moved moderately in the same direction (correlation of 0.55), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | CLF | NUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +13.02% | +85.67% |
| CAGRi | +13.04% | +85.84% | |
| Volatilityi | 69.09% | 31.74% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.46 | 1.98 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.65 | 3.08 | |
| Max drawdowni | 51.67% | 18.43% | |
| Current drawdowni | 21.14% | 3.49% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 26.44% | 5.10% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 29.48% | 7.10% | |
| Max daily dropi | 17.24% | 5.95% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 29.53% | 11.68% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | -41.63% | +189.68% |
| CAGRi | -10.21% | +23.75% | |
| Volatilityi | 59.64% | 37.26% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.04 | 0.64 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.06 | 0.93 | |
| Max drawdowni | 82.37% | 47.79% | |
| Current drawdowni | 61.42% | 3.49% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 51.33% | 17.28% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 54.63% | 21.30% | |
| Max daily dropi | 17.24% | 11.31% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 29.53% | 18.48% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +118.49% | +603.75% |
| CAGRi | +8.14% | +21.56% | |
| Volatilityi | 61.96% | 36.11% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.36 | 0.60 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.54 | 0.87 | |
| Max drawdowni | 82.37% | 57.21% | |
| Current drawdowni | 61.42% | 3.49% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 40.76% | 16.47% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 45.85% | 20.13% | |
| Max daily dropi | 24.27% | 14.51% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 34.50% | 22.08% |
| Category | CLF | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. | Nucor Corporation |
| Sector | Basic Materials | Basic Materials |
| Industry | Steel | Steel |
| Core business | Cleveland-Cliffs is a vertically integrated U.S. steel producer and the largest flat-rolled steel maker, supplying mainly the automotive industry. It owns its own iron ore mining and pelletizing operations. | Nucor is the largest U.S. steel producer and the largest steel recycler, using electric arc furnace (EAF) mini-mill technology that is more flexible and lower-cost than traditional integrated steelmaking. |
| Investor focus | Investors track automotive steel demand, hot-rolled coil pricing, labor relations, and the company's high financial leverage from past acquisitions. | Investors track scrap steel costs, construction and infrastructure demand, capital allocation discipline, and Nucor's diversified product mix. |
- Vertically integrated from iron ore mining through finished steel
- Largest supplier of automotive-grade flat-rolled steel in the U.S.
- Benefits from tariffs and trade protections on imported steel
- Lower-cost, more flexible EAF mini-mill production model
- Diversified end markets including construction, infrastructure, and energy
- Strong balance sheet and long history of disciplined capital returns
- High debt load from the AK Steel and ArcelorMittal USA acquisitions
- Heavy reliance on cyclical automotive production volumes
- Steel price volatility directly impacts margins given high fixed costs
- Scrap steel input cost inflation can compress margins
- Construction and infrastructure spending cycles drive demand
- New mill investments carry execution and ramp-up risk
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