Net losses for Nucor Corporation (NUE), the largest recycler of steel scrap in the US, narrowed to $29.5 million, or 10 cents per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2009. The result was narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate for a loss of 14 cents.

In the second quarter, NUE announced a net loss of $133.3 million, or 43 cents per diluted share. However, the performance is dismal compared to a net income of $734.6 million, or $2.31 per share, in the third quarter of 2008.

Losses in the quarter were driven by the negative impact of high-cost pig iron inventories of about $180 million, or 37 cents per share. However, the company claims that the consumption of the high-cost pig iron inventories was completed by the close of the quarter. Additionally, pre-operating and start-up costs of the new facilities increased 58% year over year to $47.1 million in

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 21, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Nucor (NUE), Dow Chemical (DOW), Freeport McMoran (FCX), Mobile TeleSystems (MBT) and VimpelCom (VIP).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s AnalystBlog:

Inflation? What Inflation?

On a year-over-year basis, Crude goods are down 31.5%. However, the year-over-year numbers at the Intermediate -- and especially the Crude -- levels are going to show much slower declines in the next few months.

In October of last year, Intermediate goods prices fell 4.2% while prices fo Crude

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In September, the Producer Price Index (PPI) fell 0.6% on a headline basis, while excluding food and energy it was down 0.1% for the month. This is in fairly distinct contrast to August, where the PPI rose 1.7% on a headline basis and 0.2% for the core. Year over year, producer prices for Finished goods are down 4.8%. In August, they were down 4.3% year over year. These numbers, along with the low readings from the CPI last week (up 0.2% on both headline and core for the month, headline down 1.3% year over year with core up 1.5%) make it clear that the inflation dragon is sleeping. The big swing factor was energy, which fell 2.4% on the month after an 8.0% surge in August. That is not likely to last into October given the recent strength in both oil and natural gas prices. Looking farther ...

Five Ways To Profit From The Commodity Nobody Likes

Tony Daltorio, Investment U Research

Forget Superman… the real man of steel is Lakshmi Mittal, chairman of the world’s biggest steelmaker, Arcelor Mittal ADR (NYSE: MT).

Mittal has built an empire – and a personal fortune – by being optimistic when it comes to the global steel industry. And he still maintains that confidence today, recently going on record to say that global demand could rise by more than 10% in 2010.

Meanwhile, many of his peers in the industry sport trembling lower lips over their present and future.

Believe it or not, that ongoing debate matters to everybody, not just those investing directly in the commodity. Steel demand feeds into a huge range of sectors, so much so that many regard it as an important bellwether of industrial trends.

The Half-Empty, Steel Glass

Other than

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 17, 2009 – Zacks.com releases the latest Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks featured in this week’s analysis include D.R. Horton (DHI), KB Home (KBH), Pulte Homes (PHM), Allstate (ALL), Hartford Financial Services (HIG), Travelers (TRV), Loews (L), Humana (HUM), Stericycle (SRCL), C.R. Baird (BCR), Celgene (CELG), Gilead Sciences (GILD), Anadarko Petroleum (APC), EOG Resources (EOG), AK Steel (AKS), Nucor (NUE), U.S. Steel (X), Fifth Third (FITB), Regions Financial (RF), Suntrust Banks (STI) and Zions Bancorp (ZION).

Zacks Industry Rank Analysis is written by Charles Rotblut, CFA, Senior Market Analyst for Zacks.com.

This week: Third-Quarter Earnings Forecast

Though the economy has stabilized, third-quarter results for the majority of companies will still be below year prior levels.

Per share profits for the S&P

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Though the economy has stabilized, third-quarter results for the majority of companies will still be below year prior levels.

Per share profits for the S&P 500 are projected to fall 15.4%. The median company is forecast to report a 14% drop in per share earnings. (The difference being that the S&P 500 forecast is a weighted projection.) More than 340 companies may have experienced a year-over-year drop in profits.

On a revenue basis, things are not much better. Median company sales are forecast to have dropped 7.2%.* More than 360 companies are expected to report a year-over-year drop in earnings.

It's important to realize that during July and August 2008, the economy was in fairly good shape. Lehman did not collapse until September 2008. Furthermore, the credit crunch's grip severely tightened over the 2-month span of September and October 2008. As a result, many companies are now facing tough

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U.S. stocks edged up slightly higher, after swinging back and forth in a narrow range, as investors preferred to remain on the sidelines.  After yesterday’s better-than-expected reports on housing and consumer confidence, investors looked for fresh signs to help restart a rally that has catapulted major indexes to multi-month highs. 

Yesterday, fifteen of the thirty DJIA components closed higher; 245 of the S&P500 closed up and 42 of the NASDAQ100 finished on higher ground.  Trading was subdued with NYSE volume of 1.05 billion well below last year's average of 1.49 billion.  The DJIA gained 4 points to close virtually flat at 9543; the NASDAQ and S&P500 each recorded gains of 0.01%.  Declining issues beat those that advanced eight to seven.  Treasuries were mixed after the government successfully auctioned $39 billion in five-year notes.  The Treasury is scheduled to auction $28 billion of 7-year notes today.

Five of the S&P500

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL - June 25, 2009 - Zacks.com releases the latest Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks featured in this week's analysis include Stericycle (SRCL), Quest Diagnostic (DGX), Biogen Idec (BIIB), AmeriSourceBergen (ABC), Abbott Labs (ABT), Sunoco (SUN), Tesoro (TSO), AK Steel (AKS), Nucor (NUE), United States Steel (X), Fifth Third (FITB), First Horizon National (FHN), Zions Bancorp (ZION), Suntrust Banks (STI), Franklin Resources (BEN), AllianceBernstein Holding (AB), Texas Instruments (TXN), National Semiconductor (NSM) and Micron (MU).

Zacks Industry Rank Analysis is written by Charles Rotblut, CFA, Senior Market Analyst for Zacks.com.

This Week: Second-Quarter Earnings Outlook

Second-quarter earnings will be ugly.

Median EPS is projected

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Second-quarter earnings will be ugly.

Median EPS is projected to drop 21.2%. Nearly 75% of S&P 500 members are forecast to report earnings that are lower than a year ago. 62 companies are projected to have lost money.

These numbers are not unexpected given that we remain in the midst of a recession. They could even prove to be too pessimistic given the propensity of companies to surprise and the relative improvements in economic conditions.

Growth Industries

The one sector projected to show the strongest growth is also the one with the highest political risk - Medical. The majority of medical care providers, health insurers, pharmacy benefit managers and drug companies should report a year-over-year increase in profits.

Zacks #2 Rank ("buy") stocks expected to report growth include Stericycle (

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* Economic bellwether FedEx (NYSE:FDX) reported earnings of 64 cents a share, ex-items, beating estimates of 51 cents on a 20% drop in revenues to $7.85 billion from $9.87 billion

* According to a WSJ report, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) has reportedly delivered a letter to congress advising of plans to repay funds borrowed under TARP sometime tomorrow.  JP Morgan (NYSE:JPM) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) are expected to repay their borrowings as early as today

* According to a WSJ report, Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE:SNY) is seeking a mega-deal in the US, which could include such possible candidates as: Bristol-Meyers-Squibb (NYSE:BMY), Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), Allergan (NYSE:AGN), or Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB)

* Nucor (NYSE:NUE) said it expects a second-quarter loss of 55 cents to 65 cents a share, versus estimates of a 69 cent loss, citing benefits from cost cuttings and recent strengthening in order entry

* Texas Instruments (NYSE:TXN) received an analyst upgrade from Merrill Lynch, expecting strong margin

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