(In thousands, except per share data)
Year Ended December 31, 2013

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Net sales

4,550,772

4,665,588

4,940,936

4,894,750

Gross margin ⁽¹⁾

303,216

313,125

408,543

385,741

Net earnings ⁽²⁾

110,728

106,270

178,115

190,416

Net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders ⁽²⁾

84,789

85,145

147,597

170,494

Net earnings per share:

Basic

0.26

0.27

0.46

0.53

Diluted

0.26

0.27

0.46

0.53

(In thousands, except per share data)
Year Ended December 31, 2012

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Net sales

5,072,594

5,104,199

4,801,206

4,451,274

Gross margin ⁽³⁾

380,527

399,930

348,733

384,348

Net earnings ⁽⁴⁾

163,412

139,567

129,892

160,255

Net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders ⁽⁴⁾

145,104

112,299

110,308

136,908

Net earnings per share:

Basic

0.46

0.35

0.43

Diluted

0.46

0.35

0.43

(1)

Nucor incurred a LIFO charge of $18.0 million in the first quarter, no charge or credit recorded in the second quarter, a LIFO credit of $18.0 million in the third quarter and a LIFO charge of $17.4 million in the fourth quarter.

(2)

Third quarter results included a net $14.0 million pre-tax charge related to a partial write down of inventory and fixed asset balances associated with the collapse of a storage dome at Nucor Steel Louisiana in St. James Parish. The fourth quarter was impacted by an out-of-period non-cash gain of $21.3 million related to a correction to deferred tax balances.

(3)

Nucor incurred a LIFO charge of $14.5 million in the first quarter and recorded LIFO credits of $14.5 million, $84.0 million and $71.9 million in the second, third and fourth quarters, respectively. Inventory related purchase accounting adjustments, associated with the acquisition of Skyline, of $8.6 million, $28.2 million, and $12.0 million were recorded in the second, third and fourth quarters, respectively.

(4)

The second quarter includes a pre-tax charge of $30.0 million for impairment of Nucor’s equity investment in Nucor Duferdofin S.r.l. The third quarter includes a pre-tax charge of $17.6 million related to the loss on the sale of the assets of Nucor Wire Products Pennsylvania, Inc.