Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ:STLD) Hits New 52-Week High Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $185.56 and last traded at $173.32, with a volume of 2190687 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $181.32.

The basic materials company reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.72 by $0.10. Steel Dynamics had a return on equity of 12.89% and a net margin of 6.39%.The firm had revenue of $4.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.62 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.36 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.0% on a year-over-year basis.

Steel Dynamics Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. Steel Dynamics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.49%.

Steel Dynamics News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Steel Dynamics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: EPS beat and margin strength — Q4 EPS topped estimates and margins held up due to lower scrap costs, driving better-than-expected profitability despite revenue miss. Steel Dynamics STLD Q4 2025 Earnings Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Record shipments and demand mix — management reported record steel shipments and expanding end-market demand (data centers, automotive for aluminum), supporting revenue growth and future EBITDA contribution from aluminum. Steel Dynamics Smashes 52-Week High On Record Steel Shipments
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns intact — management reiterated a strong capital-return framework (share buybacks and annual dividend growth), which supports shareholder value even if near-term top-line softness persists. Steel Dynamics Reinforces Outlook: Higher Highs Coming
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue miss and guidance stance — revenue came in below Street estimates and management did not give explicit 2026 guidance, creating uncertainty about the pace of recovery in pricing/demand. Steel Dynamics (STLD) Beats Q4 2025 EPS Estimates but Revenue Misses
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/analyst optimism vs. concentration risk — some analysts/technical setups point to higher targets, but institutional ownership is high and recent distributions could mute upside. Steel Dynamics Reinforces Outlook: Higher Highs Coming
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and free-cash-flow scrutiny — commentary and analysis flagged that free cash flow may be inflecting but valuation already looks full, which can limit multiple expansion and make the stock sensitive to any execution misses. Steel Dynamics: Free Cash Flow Inflecting, But Valuation Is Full
• Negative Sentiment: Rising short interest and temporary leverage from aluminum build — the company took on incremental debt for the aluminum expansion and short interest has increased, creating downside pressure if near-term results disappoint. Steel Dynamics Reinforces Outlook: Higher Highs Coming

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on STLD shares. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $194.00 price objective (up previously from $173.00) on shares of Steel Dynamics in a research note on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group set a $165.00 target price on shares of Steel Dynamics in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Steel Dynamics from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $172.00 price objective on Steel Dynamics and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Steel Dynamics from $172.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Steel Dynamics has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $182.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Miguel Alvarez sold 8,251 shares of Steel Dynamics stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.79, for a total value of $1,343,180.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 117,068 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,057,499.72. The trade was a 6.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 6.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Steel Dynamics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ninety One UK Ltd increased its position in Steel Dynamics by 33.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 119,863 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $16,712,000 after acquiring an additional 30,102 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Steel Dynamics during the third quarter worth approximately $8,592,000. Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Steel Dynamics during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,047,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Steel Dynamics by 119.3% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 11,012 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,410,000 after purchasing an additional 5,991 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in shares of Steel Dynamics in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,315,000. 82.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Steel Dynamics Stock Down 4.4%

The firm’s 50-day moving average is $170.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $149.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 3.11. The stock has a market cap of $25.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.96, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.48.

About Steel Dynamics

Steel Dynamics, Inc is a U.S.-based, diversified steel producer and metals recycler that operates an integrated network of mini-mills, finishing lines and fabrication facilities. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the company manufactures a broad range of steel products and provides downstream processing, coating and fabrication services to industrial customers. Its operations combine steelmaking using electric-arc furnaces with extensive metals recycling capabilities, allowing Steel Dynamics to convert scrap ferrous and nonferrous materials into finished steel products.

The company’s product portfolio includes flat-rolled steel (coiled and sheet products), structural steel and fabricated components, along with coated and painted steel used in consumer, industrial and construction applications.