Nucor Corporation vs Ross Stores, Inc. — how do they compare? Nucor Corporation trades at $269.91 (market cap $61.93B), while Ross Stores, Inc. trades at $250.47 (market cap $80.78B). The key difference: Ross Stores, Inc. is the larger of the two by market cap, and Nucor Corporation pays the higher dividend (0.82%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NUE | ROST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $61.93B | $80.78B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $274.74 | $255.23 |
52-Week Low | $131.78 | $144.67 |
Enterprise Value | $66.34B | $81.37B |
Dividend Yield | 0.82% | 0.71% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Nucor (NUE) trades at $274.61, up 0.73% today, with a bullish technical outlook and strong earnings beats in Q1 and Q2 2026. The stock shows robust fundamentals with a P/E of 21.7 and net income margin of 7.99%, supported by record steel shipments and higher prices. Recent news highlights its position near buy points and resilience in industrial demand.
Outlook is positive with analyst consensus favoring buy ratings (59.37%) and a $279.63 price target. Risks include cyclical steel demand and tariff impacts, but earnings growth and institutional support provide upside potential for investors seeking exposure to industrial recovery.
ROST trades at $250.45, down 1.72% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $259.00. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.02 exceeding the $1.73 forecast. Strong fundamentals include a net income margin of 9.74% and ROE of 38.98%, supported by revenue growth to $21.13 billion in 2025 and recent expansion with 47 new stores opened in mid-2026.
The outlook remains positive given earnings momentum and store growth, but elevated valuation ratios like a P/E of 35.17 pose a risk if growth slows. Analyst sentiment is bullish with 64% buy ratings, though technical indicators show mixed signals with RSI near overbought levels. Investors should weigh robust profitability against high multiples in a competitive retail sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Nucor Corp manufactures steel and steel products. The company also produces direct reduced iron for use in its steel mills. The operations include international trading and sales companies that buy and sell steel and steel products manufactured by the company and others. The operating business segments are: steel mills, steel products and raw materials, the steel mills segment derives maximum revenue.
Read more on NUE →Ross Stores is a leading American off-price apparel and home fashion retailer, operating over 1,920 stores (at the end of fiscal 2021) across the Ross Dress for Less and dd's Discounts banners. Ross offers a variety of name-brand products and targets undercutting conventional retailers' regular prices by 20%-70%. The company uses an opportunistic, flexible merchandising approach
Read more on ROST →