Nucor Corporation (NUE) vs United States Steel Corporation (X)
NUE leads on 9 of 14 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Nucor Corporation and United States Steel Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 15, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
NUE
Nucor Corporation
$266.35Basic Materials
X
United States Steel Corporation
$54.84Basic Materials
Total return — NUE vs X
growth of $100 · last 29yNUE +882.7%X +82.8%NUE compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
NUE X
NUE vs X: by the numbers
- •NUE is the larger company ($60.66B vs $12.42B market cap).
- •NUE trades at the lower earnings multiple (26.37 vs 189.10 P/E).
- •NUE converts more revenue to profit (6.82% vs 0.64% net margin).
- •NUE grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.67% vs 4.51% CAGR).
- •NUE pays the higher dividend yield (0.83% vs 0.36%).
Which is better, NUE or X?
Metric tally: NUE 9 · X 5It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueNUE(lower P/E)
GrowthNUE(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeNUE(higher dividend yield)
QualityNUE(higher ROIC)
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | NUE | X |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 26.37● | 189.10 |
| Forward P/E | 16.03 | — |
| P/S ratio | 1.79 | 0.81● |
| P/B ratio | 2.85 | 0.77● |
| PEG ratio | 1.01 | — |
| EV / EBITDA | 13.38 | 10.84● |
| FCF yield | 0.87% | — |
Profitability
| Metric | NUE | X |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 13.98%● | 7.57% |
| Operating margin | 10.04%● | -2.36% |
| Net margin | 6.82%● | 0.64% |
| ROE | 10.87%● | 0.61% |
| ROIC | 6.74%● | 1.24% |
Dividends
| Metric | NUE | X |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.83%● | 0.36% |
| Payout ratio | 29.48% | 11.70% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | NUE | X |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.67%● | 4.51% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 26.02%● | -19.55% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | -19.62% | 24.58%● |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.93% | 47.40%● |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, NUE or X?
- It depends on your goal. value: NUE (lower P/E); growth: NUE (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: NUE (higher dividend yield); quality: NUE (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, NUE leads 9 to 5.
- Is NUE or X cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, NUE is cheaper: NUE trades at a 26.37 P/E and X at 189.10.
- Which has grown faster, NUE or X?
- Over the past five years, NUE grew revenue faster — NUE at a 9.67% CAGR versus X at 4.51%.
- Does NUE or X pay a bigger dividend?
- NUE yields 0.83% and X yields 0.36% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is NUE or X more profitable?
- NUE runs the higher net margin — NUE at 6.82% versus X at 0.64%.
- Which has been the better investment, NUE or X?
- Over the past 10-year, NUE delivered the higher annualized total return — NUE at 20.73% versus X at 9.88%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Nucor P/E ratioUnited States Steel P/E ratioNucor dividend yieldUnited States Steel dividend yieldNucor ROEUnited States Steel ROENucor operating marginUnited States Steel operating marginNucor revenue growthUnited States Steel revenue growthNucor free cash flowUnited States Steel free cash flow
Nucor & United States Steel appear in these rankings
Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 15, 2026.