KOP vs. NUE

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

KOP (Koppers Holdings Inc.) and NUE (Nucor Corporation) are both stocks. Both are in the Basic Materials sector — KOP in Specialty Chemicals, NUE in Steel. Over the past 10 years, KOP returned 5.33%/yr vs 20.50%/yr for NUE. At a 0.49 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

KOP vs. NUE - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with KOP having a 59.85% return and NUE slightly lower at 58.55%. Over the past 10 years, KOP has underperformed NUE with an annualized return of 5.33%, while NUE has yielded a comparatively higher 20.50% annualized return.

KOP

• 1D: 1.44%
• 1M: 8.39%
• YTD: 59.85%
• 6M: 48.24%
• 1Y: 39.28%
• 3Y*: 11.80%
• 5Y*: 5.46%
• 10Y*: 5.33%

NUE

• 1D: -0.28%
• 1M: 14.14%
• YTD: 58.55%
• 6M: 57.54%
• 1Y: 113.90%
• 3Y*: 23.98%
• 5Y*: 20.65%
• 10Y*: 20.50%

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

KOP vs. NUE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
KOP Koppers Holdings Inc.	59.85%	-15.52%	-36.33%	82.84%	-9.24%	0.45%	-18.47%	124.30%	-66.52%	26.30%
NUE Nucor Corporation	58.55%	42.03%	-31.95%	33.75%	17.39%	118.45%	-1.77%	11.84%	-16.36%	9.60%

Correlation

The correlation between KOP and NUE is 0.38, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.38
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.43
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.45
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.48
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 2, 2006	0.49

The correlation between KOP and NUE shifts across timeframes, from 0.38 (1 year) to 0.49 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap KOP : $867.06M NUE : $59.10B
EPS KOP : $3.80 NUE : $10.12
PE Ratio KOP : 11.33 NUE : 25.46
PS Ratio KOP : 0.46 NUE : 1.74
PB Ratio KOP : 1.58 NUE : 2.75
Total Revenue (TTM) KOP : $1.88B NUE : $34.16B
Gross Profit (TTM) KOP : $287.50M NUE : $4.77B
EBITDA (TTM) KOP : $260.13M NUE : $3.49B

Return for Risk

KOP vs. NUE — Risk / Return Rank

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

KOP

KOP Risk / Return Rank: 69
KOP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
KOP Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
KOP Omega Ratio Rank: 66
KOP Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
KOP Martin Ratio Rank: 67

NUE

NUE Risk / Return Rank: 95
NUE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
NUE Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
NUE Omega Ratio Rank: 94
NUE Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
NUE Martin Ratio Rank: 95

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.

KOP vs. NUE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Koppers Holdings Inc. (KOP) 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.

	KOP	NUE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.06	3.88	-2.82
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.55	4.44	-2.89
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.20	1.55	-0.35
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.65	6.21	-4.57
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.01	18.68	-15.67
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

KOP vs. NUE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current KOP Sharpe Ratio is 1.06, which is lower than the NUE Sharpe Ratio of 3.88. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of KOP 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

	KOP	NUE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.06	3.88	-2.82
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.14	0.55	-0.41
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.11	0.57	-0.46
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.13	0.41	-0.28

Drawdowns

KOP vs. NUE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum KOP drawdown since its inception was -83.71%, which is greater than NUE's maximum drawdown of -68.34%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for KOP and NUE.

Drawdown Indicators

	KOP	NUE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-83.71%	-68.34%	-15.37%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-23.96%	-18.43%	-5.53%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-58.44%	-47.79%	-10.65%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-58.44%	-47.79%	-10.65%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-83.71%	-57.21%	-26.50%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-22.83%	-0.28%	-22.55%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-31.59%	-21.14%	-10.45%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	13.10%	6.12%	+6.98%

Volatility

KOP vs. NUE - Volatility Comparison

Koppers Holdings Inc. (KOP) has a higher volatility of 13.10% compared to Nucor Corporation (NUE) at 8.25%. This indicates that KOP'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

	KOP	NUE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.10%	8.25%	+4.85%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	26.41%	20.26%	+6.15%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	37.30%	29.55%	+7.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	38.14%	37.70%	+0.44%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	48.91%	35.96%	+12.95%

Dividends

KOP vs. NUE - Dividend Comparison

KOP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.79%, less than NUE's 0.86% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
KOP Koppers Holdings Inc.	0.79%	1.18%	0.86%	0.47%	0.71%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
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

KOP vs. NUE - Profitability Comparison

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

KOP - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Koppers Holdings Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 455.30M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

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%.

KOP - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Koppers Holdings Inc. reported an operating income of 22.00M and revenue of 455.30M, resulting in an operating margin of 4.8%.

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%.

KOP - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Koppers Holdings Inc. reported a net income of 7.10M and revenue of 455.30M, resulting in a net margin of 1.6%.

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 KOP and NUE in my portfolio?

KOP and NUE have a correlation of 0.38, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, KOP or NUE?

KOP has higher volatility (13.10%) compared to NUE (8.25%). In terms of maximum drawdown, KOP dropped -83.71% vs NUE's -68.34%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NUE currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.88 vs 1.06), 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.