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News Release | | ![LOGO](https://capedge.com/proxy/8-K/0001193125-24-018332/g756569graph_002.jpg) |
Nucor Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023
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Included in the results for the fourth quarter of 2022 was an after-tax net benefit of $60.4 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, related to state tax credits and an after-tax net benefit of $88.0 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, related to a change in the valuation allowance of a state deferred tax asset. Also included in the fourth quarter of 2022 results was a pre-tax $96.0 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, write-off of the remaining carrying value of the Company’s leasehold interest in unproved oil and gas properties that is included in the raw materials segment.
Financial Strength
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, Nucor had $7.13 billion in total liquidity, not including the Company’s $1.75 billion revolving credit facility. Nucor continues to have the strongest credit ratings in the North American steel sector (A-/A-/Baa1) with stable outlooks at Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s.
Commitment to Returning Capital to Stockholders
On December 14, 2023, Nucor’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a 6% increase over the prior cash dividend, and is payable on February 9, 2024 to stockholders of record as of December 29, 2023. Nucor has increased its regular, or base, dividend for 51 consecutive years – every year since it first began paying dividends in 1973.
During the fourth quarter of 2023, Nucor repurchased approximately 1.0 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $177.18 per share (approximately 9.75 million shares during the full year 2023 at an average price of $159.34 per share). As of December 31, 2023, Nucor had approximately $3.32 billion, or 26 million shares, remaining authorized and available for repurchases under its share repurchase program. This share repurchase authorization is discretionary and has no scheduled expiration date.
For the full year 2023, Nucor returned approximately $2.1 billion to stockholders in the form of share repurchases and dividend payments, consistent with the Company’s practice of returning at least 40% of earnings to stockholders.
Fourth Quarter of 2023 Analysis
Earnings in the fourth quarter of 2023 decreased compared to the third quarter of 2023 due to lower pricing and volumes across all three operating segments. In the steel mills segment, the decrease in realized pricing was most pronounced at our sheet and plate mills. In the steel products segment, earnings decreased due to moderating average selling prices at most of the product groups within the segment and lower volumes. Earnings for the raw materials segment decreased in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2023 due to lower pricing for raw materials and planned outages at our direct reduced iron, or DRI, facilities.
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Nucor Executive Offices: 1915 Rexford Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28211
Phone 704-366-7000 Fax 704-362-4208 www.nucor.com