Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) — Nucor is the largest mini-mill steelmaker in the U.S. with one of the most diverse product lines of a steelmaker in America. Its management’s goal is to add product breadth and, through acquisitions, enhance its product line to meet the needs of the construction and infrastructure markets.
Standard & Poor’s points out that the company’s strong balance sheet and cash flows are a major advantage in a competitive market. Longer term, S&P forecasts a rise in earnings based on better U.S. economic growth, strong automotive demand, a recovery in non-residential steel demand and better control of raw material costs.
S&P expects 2016 operating earnings-per-share to come in at $2.16, up from $1.11 in 2015. They forecast earnings of $3.40 in 2017. Their 12-month price target is $75. Yesterday Zacks Investment Research placed a “buy” recommendation on NUE with a growth score of “A.”
Following the presidential election and the new administration’s emphasis on growth of the nation’s infrastructure, NUE’s stock broke from a consolidation with support at its 200-day moving average at under $50 to a high in December at $68. Since then, profit-taking drove the stock down to what appeared to be a possible neck line of a Head-&-Shoulders Top at $59.50.
However a break of that line failed when buyers entered, causing a CBR Buy signal from my proprietary indicator on Friday, followed by an outside reversal (up) yesterday. Volume on both reversal days was higher than normal. Therefore, buy NUE at $61 for an intermediate-term trade to $73 for a proposed return of almost 20%.
