23. Quarterly Information (Unaudited)


	(in thousands, except per share data) Year Ended December 31, 2017
	First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
Net sales	$	4,815,179	$	5,174,769	$	5,170,117	$	5,092,328
Gross margin ⁽¹⁾		760,250		709,625		578,964		520,568
Net earnings ⁽²⁾		377,648		341,724		266,105		395,094
Net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders ⁽²⁾		356,899		323,048		254,850		383,891
Net earnings per share:
Basic	$	1.11	$	1.00	$	0.79	$	1.20
Diluted	$	1.11	$	1.00	$	0.79	$	1.20

	(in thousands, except per share data) Year Ended December 31, 2016
	First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
Net sales	$	3,715,576	$	4,245,772	$	4,290,236	$	3,956,538
Gross margin ⁽³⁾		314,985		585,260		682,236		443,426
Net earnings ⁽⁴⁾		122,497		271,369		331,365		175,185
Net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders ⁽⁴⁾		87,565		243,620		305,447		159,639
Net earnings per share:
Basic	$	0.27	$	0.76	$	0.95	$	0.50
Diluted	$	0.27	$	0.76	$	0.95	$	0.50

(1)

First quarter results include inventory-related purchase accounting charges of $9.8 million related to the acquisition of Southland and Republic.

(2)

Third quarter results include a net benefit of $13.2 million related to tax return true-ups and state tax credits as well as an expense of $22.5 million related to certain legal matters. Fourth quarter results include a provisional net benefit of $175.2 million related to the impacts of U.S. federal tax legislation enacted in the fourth quarter of 2017.

(3)

Fourth quarter results include a benefit of $83.0 million related to the effects of a change in estimate related to the cost of certain inventories.

(4)

First quarter results include out-of-period non-cash gains totaling $13.4 million related to a noncontrolling interest adjustment and to tax adjustments. Third quarter results were impacted by charges related to legal settlements of $33.7 million and a net benefit of $11.1 million related to fair value adjustments to assets in the Corporate/eliminations segment.