Nucor Corp. reported consolidated net earnings for the first quarter of 2006 of $379.2 million, an increase of 7 percent over the first quarter of 2005 net earnings of $354.7 million and an increase of 11 percent over 2005’s fourth quarter net earnings of $341 million.
Nucor's net sales increased 7 percent to $3.55 billion compared with $3.32 billion the first quarter of 2005 and increased 11 percent from the prior quarter. In the first quarter, average sales price per ton declined 5 percent from the same time last year and remained flat compared to the prior quarter. Total tons shipped to outside customers increased 12 percent from the same time last year and increased 10 percent from the prior quarter.
The average scrap and scrap substitute cost per ton used decreased 13 percent from $272 in the first quarter of 2005 to $237 this year’s first quarter and decreased 1 percent from $240 in the fourth quarter of 2005. Total energy costs increased about $7 per ton from the first quarter of 2005 to the first quarter of 2006 and decreased about $4 per ton from the fourth quarter of 2005.