NUE vs RS: Nucor and Reliance Steel & Aluminum compared
The short version
From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.
- Nucor is the larger company, worth $54.4B, about 2.7 times Reliance Steel & Aluminum.
- Nucor grew revenue faster over the last year (+22.9% vs +15.5%).
- On earnings, Nucor is the cheaper stock (23.7x vs 25.4x).
Side by side
The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.
| Measure | NUE | RS |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $54.4B | $19.9B |
| Share price | $250.33 | $402.45 |
| Revenue (last fiscal year) | $32.5B | $14.3B |
| Free cash flow (last fiscal year) | -$188M | $502M |
| Revenue growth, last year | +22.9% | +15.5% |
| Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years | -2.9% | +0.4% |
| Operating margin | — | 7.5% |
| Net margin | 8.0% | 5.4% |
| Return on equity | 13.0% | 11.3% |
| P/E (trailing) | 23.7x | 25.4x |
| Price / free cash flow | — | 39.6x |
| EV / EBITDA | 10.5x | 16.0x |
| FCF growth the price implies | — | 13.9% |
| Dividend yield | 0.91% | 1.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.62x | 0.52x |
| Fundamental grade | C | C |
| Superinvestors holding it | 7 | 4 |
| Insider purchases, last 12 months | 0 | 0 |
Results from SEC filings
Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.
Nucor
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $36.5B | $4.6B | — |
| 2022 | $41.5B | $8.1B | — |
| 2023 | $34.7B | $4.9B | — |
| 2024 | $30.7B | $806M | — |
| 2025 | $32.5B | -$188M | — |
Reliance Steel & Aluminum
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $14.1B | $563M | 13.8% |
| 2022 | $17.0B | $1.8B | 14.7% |
| 2023 | $14.8B | $1.2B | 11.7% |
| 2024 | $13.8B | $999M | 8.4% |
| 2025 | $14.3B | $502M | 7.1% |
Where the revenue comes from
Nucor · by segments, 2025
Steel Mills$20.0B62%
Steel Products$10.3B32%
Raw Materials$2.2B7%
Reliance Steel & Aluminum · by products, 2025
Carbon steel$7.9B55%
Aluminum$2.5B17%
Stainless steel$1.9B14%
Toll processing and logistics$647M5%
Alloy$641M4%
Copper and brass$377M3%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open NUE in InvestinglyQuestions
Which is bigger, Nucor or Reliance Steel & Aluminum?
Nucor (NUE), at $54.4B against $19.9B.
Is NUE or RS cheaper?
By trailing P/E, Nucor (23.7x) is cheaper than Reliance Steel & Aluminum (25.4x). A lower multiple can also mean the market expects less growth.
Which grows faster, NUE or RS?
Nucor: revenue grew +22.9% over the last year, against +15.5%.
Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.