CX vs. NUE: CEMEX vs. Nucor Stock Comparison
How do CEMEX (CX) and Nucor (NUE) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
CEMEX (CX) and Nucor (NUE) both fall under the Materials industry group, but CX is classified in Construction Materials while NUE is classified in Metals & Mining.
Nucor (NUE) trades as ordinary local shares, while CEMEX (CX) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | CX | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. Sponsored ADR | Nucor Corporation |
| Country/Region | Mexico | United States |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry Group | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Construction Materials | Metals & Mining |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Construction Materials | Steel |
| Market Capitalization | 15.47 billion USD | 55.58 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | September 15, 1999 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CX | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 7.57% | 74.82% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 17.84% | 19.83% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.81% | 18.79% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CX | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 36.82% | 32.37% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.57 | 1.82 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -53.08% | -47.79% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 7.01M | 1.37M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CX | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.09 | 2.18 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.14 | 3.28 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both CEMEX (CX) at 5.17% and Nucor (NUE) at 17.58% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
CX
Materials industry group
5.17%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- CX
- 5.17%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
NUE
Materials industry group
17.58%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- NUE
- 17.58%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both CEMEX (CX) at 3.60% and Nucor (NUE) at 9.26% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
CX
Materials industry group
3.60%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- CX
- 3.60%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
NUE
Materials industry group
9.26%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- NUE
- 9.26%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both CEMEX (CX) at 14.77% and Nucor (NUE) at 16.73% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
CX
Materials industry group
14.77%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- CX
- 14.77%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
NUE
Materials industry group
16.73%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- NUE
- 16.73%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CX | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 5.17% | 17.58% |
| ROA (TTM) | 5.07% | 8.82% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 3.60% | 9.26% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 14.77% | 16.73% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 33.48% | 17.39% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both CEMEX (CX) at 0.43% and Nucor (NUE) at 5.73% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both CEMEX (CX) at 2.35% and Nucor (NUE) at -11.11% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CX | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 0.43% | 5.73% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 3.13% | -7.84% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 2.35% | -11.11% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.14% | -36.08% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Nucor (NUE) at 2.46 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while CEMEX (CX) at 0.95 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for CX.
CX
Materials industry group
0.95
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- CX
- 0.95
- Min
- 0.16
NUE
Materials industry group
2.46
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- NUE
- 2.46
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both CEMEX (CX) at 0.46 and Nucor (NUE) at 0.29 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
CX
Materials industry group
0.46
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.47
- CX
- 0.46
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
NUE
Materials industry group
0.29
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.47
- NUE
- 0.29
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CX | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.95 | 2.46 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.46 | 0.29 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.60 | 0.52 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
CEMEX (CX) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Nucor (NUE) reports a yield of 0.91%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CX
Materials industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- Median
- 0.38%
- CX
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NUE
Materials industry group
0.91%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- NUE
- 0.91%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Nucor (NUE) at 17.78% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while CEMEX (CX) at 67.86% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.
CX
Materials industry group
67.86%
- Max
- 83.62%
- CX
- 67.86%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NUE
Materials industry group
17.78%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- NUE
- 17.78%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CX | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.91% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 67.86% | 17.78% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Nucor (NUE) at 15.60 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while CEMEX (CX) at 67.00 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for CX’s trailing earnings.
CX
Materials industry group
67.00
- CX
- 67.00
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
NUE
Materials industry group
15.60
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- NUE
- 15.60
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both CEMEX (CX) at 0.89 and Nucor (NUE) at 1.43 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
CX
Materials industry group
0.89
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- Median
- 1.87
- CX
- 0.89
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
NUE
Materials industry group
1.43
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- Median
- 1.87
- NUE
- 1.43
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
CEMEX (CX) at 1.20 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Nucor (NUE) at 2.43 is valued near its industry’s middle — CX is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.
CX
Materials industry group
1.20
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- CX
- 1.20
- Min
- -0.17
NUE
Materials industry group
2.43
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- NUE
- 2.43
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CX | NUE |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 67.00 | 15.60 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.89 | 1.43 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.20 | 2.43 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 8.86% | 2.77% |