10 Best Metal Stocks to Buy Right Now

3. Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 44

Nucor Corp (NYSE:NUE) is one of the best metal stocks to buy right now. On January 9, Morgan Stanley cut Nucor Corp (NYSE:NUE) to Equal Weight from Overweight, while lifting its price target to $180 from $165. The firm pointed to a balanced risk‑reward with limited upside, even as it expects strong cash flow and earnings growth. Analysts warned that soft demand could weigh on steel prices, noting hot‑rolled coil may peak near $1,000 per ton before easing toward $800 from the current $930.

Earlier on December 18, analysts at Wells Fargo reiterated an Overweight rating on Nucor Corp (NYSE:NUE) but lowered the price target to $176 from $178. The price target cut is in response to what the research firm believes is a light fourth-quarter 2025 guidance by management.

The research firm is wary that the stock could come under pressure as investors look through weakness, hurt by contract lags for 80% of sheet shipments. Management expects the company’s fourth quarter 2025 earnings to range between $1.65 and $1.75 per diluted share. It would represent a significant decline from the $2.63 per diluted share in earnings delivered in the third quarter.

The lower-than-expected earnings would come on the back of a seasonal decline. Additionally, Nucor faced fewer shipping days in the fourth quarter. Looking to 2026, management highlighted stronger backlogs in energy, infrastructure, data centers, and manufacturing, with full Q4 results due January 26 and a conference call on January 27.

Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) is North America’s largest steel and steel products manufacturer, operating as a highly efficient, diversified producer that recycles the most material of any North American manufacturer, primarily using electric arc furnaces (EAFs) with significant recycled content for sustainable production.