Data as of:
LIVE
X
United States Steel Corporation · Materials
N/A
N/A this month
VERSUS
COMPARE
NUE
Nucor Corporation · Materials
$265.14
+0.36% this month
Comparison scoreboard
MIXED SETUPAI Scorei
X N/A
NUE 67.7
1Y Returni
X N/A
NUE +85.50%
Fwd P/Ei
X N/A
NUE 13.71
Target Up.i
X N/A
NUE +8.33%
Op. Margini
X N/A
NUE 15.67%
Metrics last refreshed: 9/18/2026
Quick take
X vs NUE Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
US Steel and Nucor both operate in domestic steel production, but Nucor has built its business entirely around lower-cost electric arc furnace mini-mill technology, while US Steel operates a mix of legacy integrated blast furnace facilities and newer electric arc furnace investments, and has been the subject of significant acquisition interest.
X offers exposure to a legacy steel producer transitioning its cost structure, with added corporate transaction dynamics, while NUE offers exposure to the established, lower-cost electric arc furnace market leader. The decision depends on whether you prefer transition and event-driven potential or an established cost-advantaged operator.
Live analysis · updated 9/18/2026
X and NUE are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly.
Want a full valuation workup? 46-section report — AI Score, Monte Carlo forecast, bull/bear case, DCF, and more.
Normalized 1Y performance
X
NUE
Not enough data to chart yet.
Recent returns
X
NUE
Analyst price targets & sentiment
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.
X
Price target data unavailable
N/A
NUE · 13 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.0/5.0)
14 Buy / 3 Hold / 0 Sell
Price target range
analyst low$120.00
analyst mean$282.81
current price$265.14
+8.3% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
X may suit investors who:
- Want exposure to a legacy steel producer transitioning toward lower-cost electric arc furnace capacity
- Are interested in the potential outcomes tied to prior acquisition interest in the company
- Believe modernization investment can improve the company's long-term cost structure
- Are comfortable with the added volatility that comes with corporate transaction uncertainty
NUE may suit investors who:
- Want exposure to the largest domestic steel producer with significant scale advantages
- Value diversification into downstream fabrication and steel product businesses
- Believe electric arc furnace technology provides a durable cost advantage over integrated steelmakers
- Prefer a company with a long track record of dividend payments through steel price cycles
Performance & AI score
| Metric | X | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | N/A | 67.7 |
| AI ranki | N/A | #61 |
| Latest closei | N/A | $265.14 |
| 1M returni | N/A | +0.36% |
| 6M returni | N/A | +63.72% |
| 1Y returni | N/A | +85.50% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | X | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | N/A | $18.57K (+85.7%) started 2025-09-17 |
| 5Y ago | N/A | $30.71K (+207.1%) started 2021-09-20 |
| 10Y ago | N/A | $87.61K (+776.1%) started 2016-09-19 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | X | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | N/A | $59.23B |
| Trailing P/Ei | N/A | 20.84 |
| Forward P/Ei | N/A | 13.71 |
| Price/Salesi | 0.79 | 0.92 |
| EV/Revenuei | N/A | 1.79 |
| Analyst targeti | N/A | $282.81 |
| Target upsidei | N/A | +8.33% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | X | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | N/A | 23.00% |
| Earnings growthi | N/A | 93.80% |
| EPS growthi | N/A | +93.80% |
| FCF margini | N/A | +1.89% |
| Operating margini | N/A | 15.67% |
| Profit margini | N/A | 7.99% |
| ROIC proxyi | N/A | 14.55% |
| Return on equityi | N/A | 14.55% |
| Dividend yieldi | N/A | 0.86% |
| Payout ratioi | N/A | 17.80% |
| Dividend growth streaki | N/A | No increase yet |
| Betai | 0.88 | 1.88 |
| Debt/equityi | N/A | 30.51 |
| Current ratioi | N/A | 2.51 |
| Quick ratioi | N/A | 1.28 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
X max drawdowniN/A
NUE max drawdowni18.43%
X max wkly dropiN/A
NUE max wkly dropi11.68%
5Y risk snapshot
X max drawdowniN/A
NUE max drawdowni47.79%
X max wkly dropiN/A
NUE max wkly dropi18.48%
10Y risk snapshot
X max drawdowniN/A
NUE max drawdowni57.21%
X max wkly dropiN/A
NUE max wkly dropi22.08%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | X | NUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | N/A | +85.67% |
| CAGRi | N/A | +85.84% | |
| Volatilityi | N/A | 31.74% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | N/A | 1.98 | |
| Sortino ratioi | N/A | 3.08 | |
| Max drawdowni | N/A | 18.43% | |
| Current drawdowni | N/A | 3.49% | |
| Avg drawdowni | N/A | 5.10% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | N/A | 7.10% | |
| Max daily dropi | N/A | 5.95% | |
| Max wkly dropi | N/A | 11.68% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | N/A | +189.68% |
| CAGRi | N/A | +23.75% | |
| Volatilityi | N/A | 37.26% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | N/A | 0.64 | |
| Sortino ratioi | N/A | 0.93 | |
| Max drawdowni | N/A | 47.79% | |
| Current drawdowni | N/A | 3.49% | |
| Avg drawdowni | N/A | 17.28% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | N/A | 21.30% | |
| Max daily dropi | N/A | 11.31% | |
| Max wkly dropi | N/A | 18.48% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | N/A | +603.75% |
| CAGRi | N/A | +21.56% | |
| Volatilityi | N/A | 36.11% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | N/A | 0.60 | |
| Sortino ratioi | N/A | 0.87 | |
| Max drawdowni | N/A | 57.21% | |
| Current drawdowni | N/A | 3.49% | |
| Avg drawdowni | N/A | 16.47% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | N/A | 20.13% | |
| Max daily dropi | N/A | 14.51% | |
| Max wkly dropi | N/A | 22.08% |
Business comparison
| Category | X | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Company | United States Steel Corporation | Nucor Corporation |
| Sector | Materials | Basic Materials |
| Industry | N/A | Steel |
| Core business | An integrated steel producer operating traditional blast furnace steelmaking facilities alongside newer electric arc furnace mini-mill operations, supplying steel products primarily to automotive, construction, and industrial customers. | The largest steel producer in the United States, operating electric arc furnace mini-mills that produce a broad range of steel products, alongside downstream steel product businesses including fabrication and joist manufacturing. |
| Investor focus | Progress transitioning production toward lower-cost electric arc furnace capacity, automotive and industrial end-market demand trends, and developments related to prior acquisition interest in the company. | Steel pricing and volume trends across its diverse product lines, downstream fabrication segment margin contribution, and capital allocation between growth investment and shareholder returns. |
X strengths
- Long-established brand and customer relationships in automotive and industrial steel markets built over a long operating history
- Ongoing investment in newer electric arc furnace capacity aims to modernize the company's cost structure over time
- Diversified product mix spanning both traditional integrated and newer mini-mill production methods provides operational flexibility
NUE strengths
- Position as the largest domestic steel producer provides significant scale advantages in raw material sourcing and production efficiency
- Electric arc furnace mini-mill technology provides lower-cost, more flexible production than traditional integrated blast furnace steelmaking
- Diversified downstream steel product and fabrication businesses provide earnings streams beyond raw steel production alone
Risks to watch — X
- Legacy integrated blast furnace operations carry higher fixed costs and environmental compliance burdens than modern electric arc furnace mills
- Steel prices remain highly cyclical, tied closely to automotive, construction, and broader industrial demand trends
- Corporate transaction interest and uncertainty regarding the company's ownership structure can create stock price volatility
Risks to watch — NUE
- Steel prices remain highly cyclical, tied closely to construction, automotive, and broader industrial demand trends
- Large-scale capacity expansion investments require sustained capital deployment with typical execution and timing risk
- Import competition and global steel trade dynamics can affect domestic pricing during periods of oversupply
Frequently asked questions
Free public comparison
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.
In-Depth Reports
Full valuation workup with AI Score, Monte Carlo forecast, and bull/bear case — free preview, premium data from $3.99.
Related comparisons
More comparisons
Browse all 1,000 comparisons