AU vs. NUE: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AU and NUE, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AU’s market capitalization stands at 23.52 billion USD, while NUE’s is 31.81 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
NUE carries a higher beta at 1.69, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AU (beta: 0.49) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | AU | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AngloGold Ashanti Plc | Nucor Corporation |
| Country | GB | US |
| Sector | Basic Materials | Basic Materials |
| Industry | Gold | Steel |
| CEO | Alberto Calderon Zuleta BA Econ, Econ, Law, M Phil Econ, | Leon J. Topalian |
| Price | 46.71 USD | 137.87 USD |
| Market Cap | 23.52 billion USD | 31.81 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.49 | 1.69 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | August 5, 1998 | March 17, 1980 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AU and NUE by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
AU
25.86%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 25.86%
- Q3
- 12.48%
- Median
- 8.15%
- Q1
- 2.34%
- Min
- -3.82%
In the upper quartile for the Gold industry, AU’s Return on Equity of 25.86% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
NUE
6.56%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 19.41%
- Q3
- 6.56%
- Median
- 1.54%
- Q1
- -3.03%
- Min
- -12.88%
NUE’s Return on Equity of 6.56% is on par with the norm for the Steel industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
AU
12.23%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 20.84%
- Q3
- 9.90%
- Median
- 5.11%
- Q1
- 1.36%
- Min
- -10.62%
In the upper quartile for the Gold industry, AU’s Return on Invested Capital of 12.23% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
NUE
5.54%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 8.44%
- Q3
- 6.04%
- Median
- 2.41%
- Q1
- -2.16%
- Min
- -5.38%
NUE’s Return on Invested Capital of 5.54% is in line with the norm for the Steel industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
Net Profit Margin
AU
17.91%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 26.48%
- Q3
- 21.01%
- Median
- 16.48%
- Q1
- 8.22%
- Min
- -6.63%
AU’s Net Profit Margin of 17.91% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Gold industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
NUE
4.40%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 6.80%
- Q3
- 4.40%
- Median
- 0.88%
- Q1
- -2.05%
- Min
- -10.37%
NUE’s Net Profit Margin of 4.40% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Steel industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
AU
29.67%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 67.43%
- Q3
- 40.39%
- Median
- 30.64%
- Q1
- 19.83%
- Min
- -9.84%
AU’s Operating Profit Margin of 29.67% is around the midpoint for the Gold industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
NUE
6.94%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 17.40%
- Q3
- 7.61%
- Median
- 4.75%
- Q1
- -0.70%
- Min
- -10.86%
NUE’s Operating Profit Margin of 6.94% is around the midpoint for the Steel industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 25.86% | 6.56% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 10.37% | 3.86% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 12.23% | 5.54% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.91% | 4.40% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 29.67% | 6.94% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 35.78% | 10.46% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AU
2.34
Gold Industry
- Max
- 4.98
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.34
- Q1
- 1.51
- Min
- 0.52
AU’s Current Ratio of 2.34 aligns with the median group of the Gold industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
NUE
2.52
Steel Industry
- Max
- 3.17
- Q3
- 3.03
- Median
- 2.58
- Q1
- 1.87
- Min
- 1.35
NUE’s Current Ratio of 2.52 aligns with the median group of the Steel industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AU
0.33
Gold Industry
- Max
- 0.67
- Q3
- 0.34
- Median
- 0.17
- Q1
- 0.06
- Min
- 0.00
AU’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.33 is typical for the Gold industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
NUE
0.39
Steel Industry
- Max
- 0.48
- Q3
- 0.45
- Median
- 0.27
- Q1
- 0.18
- Min
- 0.00
NUE’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.39 is typical for the Steel industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio
AU
14.20
Gold Industry
- Max
- 45.23
- Q3
- 25.79
- Median
- 13.44
- Q1
- 2.91
- Min
- -6.26
AU’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 14.20 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Gold industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
NUE
15.03
Steel Industry
- Max
- 28.82
- Q3
- 10.16
- Median
- 3.04
- Q1
- -2.82
- Min
- -8.78
NUE’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 15.03 is in the upper quartile for the Steel industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 2.34 | 2.52 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.57 | 1.48 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.33 | 0.39 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.17 | 0.23 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.25 | 1.33 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 14.20 | 15.03 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AU and NUE. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AU
0.27%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 3.65%
- Q3
- 1.37%
- Median
- 0.47%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AU’s Dividend Yield of 0.27% is consistent with its peers in the Gold industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
NUE
1.59%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 16.89%
- Q3
- 3.75%
- Median
- 1.68%
- Q1
- 1.43%
- Min
- 0.00%
NUE’s Dividend Yield of 1.59% is consistent with its peers in the Steel industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AU
45.43%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 110.70%
- Q3
- 42.09%
- Median
- 15.45%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AU’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 45.43% is in the upper quartile for the Gold industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
NUE
38.67%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 222.70%
- Q3
- 39.78%
- Median
- 32.33%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NUE’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 38.67% is within the typical range for the Steel industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.27% | 1.59% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 45.43% | 38.67% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AU
16.93
Gold Industry
- Max
- 64.00
- Q3
- 46.06
- Median
- 29.03
- Q1
- 16.74
- Min
- 1.00
AU’s P/E Ratio of 16.93 is within the middle range for the Gold industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
NUE
23.97
Steel Industry
- Max
- 24.65
- Q3
- 23.86
- Median
- 21.78
- Q1
- 15.59
- Min
- 7.61
A P/E Ratio of 23.97 places NUE in the upper quartile for the Steel industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
AU
-0.86
Gold Industry
- Max
- 14.01
- Q3
- 6.52
- Median
- 3.33
- Q1
- 0.82
- Min
- 0.05
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Gold industry.
NUE
1.10
Steel Industry
- Max
- 3.14
- Q3
- 2.43
- Median
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.40
- Min
- 0.10
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Steel industry.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AU
3.03
Gold Industry
- Max
- 15.12
- Q3
- 7.63
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 2.30
- Min
- 0.79
AU’s P/S Ratio of 3.03 aligns with the market consensus for the Gold industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
NUE
1.05
Steel Industry
- Max
- 1.22
- Q3
- 0.82
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.30
- Min
- 0.19
NUE’s P/S Ratio of 1.05 is in the upper echelon for the Steel industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AU
3.47
Gold Industry
- Max
- 6.10
- Q3
- 3.60
- Median
- 2.02
- Q1
- 1.35
- Min
- 0.26
AU’s P/B Ratio of 3.47 is within the conventional range for the Gold industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
NUE
1.60
Steel Industry
- Max
- 2.37
- Q3
- 1.48
- Median
- 0.77
- Q1
- 0.59
- Min
- 0.38
NUE’s P/B Ratio of 1.60 is in the upper tier for the Steel industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 16.93 | 23.97 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | -0.86 | 1.10 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.03 | 1.05 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 3.47 | 1.60 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 18.13 | 60.98 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 7.94 | 10.32 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.13 | 1.20 |