CMC vs. NUE

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

CMC (Commercial Metals Company) and NUE (Nucor Corporation) are both stocks. Both operate in the Steel industry within the Basic Materials sector. Over the past 10 years, CMC returned 18.25%/yr vs 20.54%/yr for NUE. A 0.54 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.

Performance

CMC vs. NUE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Commercial Metals Company (CMC) and Nucor Corporation (NUE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CMC achieves a 11.27% return, which is significantly lower than NUE's 59.00% return. Over the past 10 years, CMC has underperformed NUE with an annualized return of 18.25%, while NUE has yielded a comparatively higher 20.54% annualized return.

CMC

• 1D: 1.11%
• 1M: 11.55%
• YTD: 11.27%
• 6M: 21.18%
• 1Y: 57.55%
• 3Y*: 20.45%
• 5Y*: 20.59%
• 10Y*: 18.25%

NUE

• 1D: 2.77%
• 1M: 14.34%
• YTD: 59.00%
• 6M: 61.54%
• 1Y: 117.92%
• 3Y*: 24.09%
• 5Y*: 21.10%
• 10Y*: 20.54%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

CMC vs. NUE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CMC Commercial Metals Company	11.27%	41.52%	0.41%	4.99%	35.05%	79.83%	-5.45%	42.81%	-23.17%	0.33%
NUE Nucor Corporation	59.00%	42.03%	-31.95%	33.75%	17.39%	118.45%	-1.77%	11.84%	-16.36%	9.60%

Correlation

The correlation between CMC and NUE is 0.64, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.64
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.67
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.71
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.73
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 6, 1987	0.54

The correlation between CMC and NUE shifts across timeframes, from 0.54 (all time) to 0.73 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap CMC : $8.58B NUE : $59.26B
EPS CMC : $4.50 NUE : $10.12
PE Ratio CMC : 17.03 NUE : 25.53
PS Ratio CMC : 1.03 NUE : 1.74
PB Ratio CMC : 1.95 NUE : 2.76
Total Revenue (TTM) CMC : $8.39B NUE : $34.16B
Gross Profit (TTM) CMC : $1.49B NUE : $4.77B
EBITDA (TTM) CMC : $905.85M NUE : $3.49B

Return for Risk

CMC vs. NUE — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CMC

CMC Risk / Return Rank: 79
CMC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
CMC Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
CMC Omega Ratio Rank: 77
CMC Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
CMC Martin Ratio Rank: 79

NUE

NUE Risk / Return Rank: 96
NUE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
NUE Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
NUE Omega Ratio Rank: 95
NUE Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
NUE Martin Ratio Rank: 96

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CMC vs. NUE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Commercial Metals Company (CMC) and Nucor Corporation (NUE). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CMC	NUE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.72	4.02	-2.30
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.34	4.54	-2.20
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.57	-0.29
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.22	7.59	-5.37
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.33	22.86	-16.53
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CMC vs. NUE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CMC Sharpe Ratio is 1.72, which is lower than the NUE Sharpe Ratio of 4.02. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CMC and NUE, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CMC	NUE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.72	4.02	-2.30
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.58	0.56	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.46	0.57	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.37	0.42	-0.05

Drawdowns

CMC vs. NUE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CMC drawdown since its inception was -83.77%, which is greater than NUE's maximum drawdown of -68.34%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CMC and NUE.

Drawdown Indicators

	CMC	NUE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-83.77%	-68.34%	-15.43%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-29.96%	-18.43%	-11.53%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-37.63%	-47.79%	+10.16%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.63%	-47.79%	+10.16%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-53.78%	-57.21%	+3.43%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.66%	0.00%	-7.66%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-23.53%	-21.14%	-2.39%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	10.49%	6.12%	+4.37%

Volatility

CMC vs. NUE - Volatility Comparison

Commercial Metals Company (CMC) has a higher volatility of 9.76% compared to Nucor Corporation (NUE) at 8.23%. This indicates that CMC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NUE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CMC	NUE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.76%	8.23%	+1.53%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	24.45%	20.25%	+4.20%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	34.13%	31.11%	+3.02%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	35.51%	37.70%	-2.19%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	39.71%	35.97%	+3.74%

Dividends

CMC vs. NUE - Dividend Comparison

CMC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.97%, more than NUE's 0.86% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CMC Commercial Metals Company	0.97%	1.04%	1.41%	1.28%	1.20%	1.38%	2.34%	2.16%	3.00%	2.25%	2.20%	3.51%
NUE Nucor Corporation	0.86%	1.35%	1.86%	1.19%	1.52%	1.50%	3.03%	2.85%	2.97%	2.38%	2.52%	3.70%

Financials

CMC vs. NUE - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Commercial Metals Company and Nucor Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

CMC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Commercial Metals Company reported a gross profit of 387.91M and revenue of 2.13B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 18.2%.

NUE - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nucor Corporation reported a gross profit of 1.50B and revenue of 9.50B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 15.8%.

CMC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Commercial Metals Company reported an operating income of 154.74M and revenue of 2.13B, resulting in an operating margin of 7.3%.

NUE - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nucor Corporation reported an operating income of 0.00 and revenue of 9.50B, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.

CMC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Commercial Metals Company reported a net income of 93.03M and revenue of 2.13B, resulting in a net margin of 4.4%.

NUE - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Nucor Corporation reported a net income of 743.00M and revenue of 9.50B, resulting in a net margin of 7.8%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both CMC and NUE in my portfolio?

CMC and NUE have a correlation of 0.64, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, CMC or NUE?

CMC has higher volatility (9.76%) compared to NUE (8.23%). In terms of maximum drawdown, CMC dropped -83.77% vs NUE's -68.34%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NUE currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (4.01 vs 1.72), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.