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 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. NUE leads on both 1-year return (+88.42%) and forward P/E quality (14.18x vs 22.10x for CLF), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for NUE (+8.95%) than for CLF (+4.72%).
- →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 score | 36.4 | 57.7 |
| AI rank | #1468 | #202 |
| Latest close | $11.22 | $261.28 |
| 1M return | +13.79% | +18.36% |
| 6M return | -18.46% | +44.39% |
| 1Y return | +11.53% | +88.42% |
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 | $11.56K (+15.6%) started 2025-08-04 | $19.07K (+90.7%) started 2025-08-04 |
| 5Y ago | $4.6K (-54.0%) started 2021-08-03 | $28.88K (+188.8%) started 2021-08-05 |
| 10Y ago | $15.51K (+55.1%) started 2016-08-03 | $74.16K (+641.6%) started 2016-08-05 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | CLF | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $6.4B | $53.89B |
| Trailing P/E | N/A | 20.53 |
| Forward P/E | 22.10 | 14.18 |
| Price/Sales | 0.33 | 0.92 |
| EV/Revenue | 0.74 | 1.78 |
| Analyst target | $11.75 | $280.31 |
| Target upside | +4.72% | +8.95% |
| Metric | CLF | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 5.90% | 23.00% |
| Earnings growth | N/A | 93.80% |
| EPS growth | N/A | +93.80% |
| FCF margin | +0.03% | +1.85% |
| Operating margin | N/A | 15.67% |
| Profit margin | -4.56% | 7.99% |
| ROIC proxy | -13.86% | 14.55% |
| Return on equity | -13.86% | 14.55% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.87% |
| Beta | 2.12 | 1.92 |
| Debt/equity | 132.74 | 30.51 |
| Current ratio | 1.89 | 2.51 |
| Quick ratio | 0.59 | 1.28 |
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 | Growth | +15.55% | +90.74% |
| CAGR | +15.61% | +90.94% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.49 | 2.13 | |
| Max drawdown | 51.67% | 18.43% | |
| Max daily drop | 17.24% | 5.95% | |
| Max wkly drop | 29.53% | 11.31% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -54.00% | +172.44% |
| CAGR | -14.39% | +22.21% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.04 | 0.60 | |
| Max drawdown | 82.37% | 47.79% | |
| Max daily drop | 17.24% | 11.31% | |
| Max wkly drop | 29.53% | 18.48% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +46.83% | +495.73% |
| CAGR | +3.92% | +19.54% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.30 | 0.55 | |
| Max drawdown | 82.37% | 57.21% | |
| Max daily drop | 24.27% | 14.51% | |
| Max wkly drop | 34.50% | 22.08% |
| Category | CLF | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. | Nucor Corporation |
| Sector | Materials - Steel | Basic Materials |
| Industry | N/A | 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
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.