Nucor reports results for the first quarter of 2022

Posted on Apr 21, 2022 in Nuts & Bolts

Nucor Corporation today announced consolidated net earnings of $2.10 billion, or $7.67 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2022, making it the most profitable first quarter in the Company’s history. By comparison, Nucor reported consolidated net earnings of $2.25 billion, or $7.97 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2021 and $942.4 million, or $3.10 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2021.

Leon J. Topalian

“I’m incredibly proud of the Nucor Team’s exceptional focus on delivering world-class performance in the first quarter of 2022, especially our record results in Safety and first-quarter profitability. We are grateful for the trust our customers place in the Nucor Team with every order as we strive to offer exceptional value by delivering the cleanest and most sustainable steel solutions in the world. Our key forward-looking indicators for 2022 remain favorable and we expect another strong year in both earnings and cash generation,” said Leon Topalian, Nucor’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

Selected Segment Data
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and noncontrolling interests by segment for the first quarter of 2022 and 2021 were as follows (in thousands):

Financial Review
Nucor’s consolidated net sales increased 1% to $10.49 billion in the first quarter of 2022 compared with $10.36 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021 and increased 50% compared with $7.02 billion in the first quarter of 2021. The average sales price per ton in the first quarter of 2022 increased 2% compared with the fourth quarter of 2021 and increased 68% compared with the first quarter of 2021. A total of 6,394,000 tons were shipped to outside customers in the first quarter of 2022, which was similar to the fourth quarter of 2021 and decreased 11% as compared to the first quarter of 2021. Total steel mill shipments in the first quarter of 2022 decreased 1% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2021 and decreased 11% as compared to the first quarter of 2021. Steel mill shipments to internal customers represented 22% of total steel mill shipments in the first quarter of 2022, compared with 22% in the fourth quarter of 2021 and 21% in the first quarter of 2021. Downstream steel product shipments to outside customers in the first quarter of 2022 increased 7% from the fourth quarter of 2021 and increased 2% from the first quarter of 2021.

The average scrap and scrap substitute cost per gross ton used in the first quarter of 2022 was $495, a 3% decrease compared to $508 in the fourth quarter of 2021 and a 22% increase compared to $405 in the first quarter of 2021.

Pre-operating and start-up costs related to the Company’s growth projects were approximately $62 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2022, compared with approximately $54 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2021 and approximately $19 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2021.

Overall operating rates at the Company’s steel mills decreased to 77% in the first quarter of 2022 as compared to 89% in the fourth quarter of 2021 and 95% in the first quarter of 2021.

Financial Strength
At the end of the first quarter of 2022, we had $4.26 billion in cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, and restricted cash and cash equivalents on hand. The Company’s $1.75 billion revolving credit facility remains undrawn and does not expire until November 2026. Nucor continues to have the strongest credit rating in the North American steel sector (Baa1/A-) with stable outlooks at both Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s.

Commitment to Returning Capital to Stockholders
During the first quarter of 2022, Nucor repurchased approximately 7.0 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $128.45 per share. As of April 2, 2022, Nucor had approximately 266,000,000 shares outstanding and approximately $2.94 billion remaining for repurchases under its existing authorized share repurchase program. This share repurchase authorization is discretionary and has no scheduled expiration date.

On February 22, 2022, Nucor’s board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.50 per share. This cash dividend is payable on May 11, 2022, to stockholders of record as of March 31, 2022, and is Nucor’s 196th consecutive quarterly cash dividend.

First Quarter of 2022 Analysis
Steel mill segment earnings in the first quarter of 2022 decreased from the fourth quarter of 2021, primarily due to the decreased profitability of the sheet mills. While end-market demand remains strong, average realized selling prices in sheet softened during the first quarter reflecting increased import volumes coupled with modest destocking. The steel products segment generated increased earnings in the first quarter of 2022 relative to the fourth quarter of 2021 due to continued strong nonresidential construction-related demand and expanded profit margins. Earnings for the raw materials segment increased in the first quarter of 2022 as compared to the fourth quarter of 2021 due to improving selling prices for raw materials at the end of the quarter.

Second Quarter of 2022 Outlook
End-use market demand remains strong for steel and steel products, and we remain confident that 2022 will be another year of very strong earnings and cash flow for Nucor.

We expect that the second quarter of 2022 will be the most profitable quarter in Nucor’s history, surpassing the previous record set in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Second-quarter earnings will be driven by increased profitability in the steel products segment, which continues to benefit from robust demand in nonresidential construction markets. In addition, the steel mills segment earnings are expected to strengthen due primarily to increased profitability at our sheet and plate mills. Similarly, Nucor’s raw materials segment is expected to generate increased profits in the second quarter due to relatively higher selling prices for raw materials.