Quarterly Information (Unaudited)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

25. Quarterly Information (Unaudited)

	(in thousands, except per share data)
	Year Ended December 31, 2020
	First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
Net sales	$	5,624,337	$	4,327,306	$	4,927,960	$	5,260,055
Gross margin		629,268		377,959		502,195		718,528
Net earnings ⁽¹⁾		54,379		133,153		222,630		425,866
Net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders ⁽¹⁾		20,331		108,881		193,415		398,843
Net earnings per share:
Basic	$	0.07	$	0.36	$	0.63	$	1.31
Diluted	$	0.07	$	0.36	$	0.63	$	1.30

	(in thousands, except per share data)
	Year Ended December 31, 2019
	First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
Net sales	$	6,096,624	$	5,895,986	$	5,464,502	$	5,131,746
Gross margin ⁽²⁾		895,892		775,494		572,511		435,188
Net earnings ⁽²⁾		530,793		412,277		293,587		134,253
Net earnings attributable to Nucor stockholders ⁽²⁾		501,806		386,483		275,031		107,823
Net earnings per share:
Basic	$	1.63	$	1.26	$	0.90	$	0.35
Diluted	$	1.63	$	1.26	$	0.90	$	0.35

(1)

First quarter results include losses on assets of $287.8 million related to our investment in Duferdofin Nucor. Third quarter results include a restructuring charge of $16.4 million related to the realignment of Nucor’s metal buildings business. Fourth quarter results include non-cash impairment charges totaling $130.2 million related to impairments of certain inventory and long-lived assets in the steel mills segment ($103.2 million) and the write-down of our unproved natural gas well assets in the raw materials segment ($27.0 million). Also included in fourth quarter results were losses on assets of $184.0 million related to the Duferdofin Agreement, a $201.9 million tax benefit related to our investment in Duferdofin Nucor, a $39.7 million net benefit related to state tax credits and a net benefit of $48.2 million for the CARES Act carryback provision.

(2)

First quarter results include a benefit of $33.7 million related to the gain on the sale of an equity method investment in the raw materials segment. Fourth quarter results include non-cash impairment charges totaling $66.9 million related to an impairment of our proved producing natural gas well assets in the raw materials segment ($35.0 million), certain property, plant and equipment in the steel mills segment ($20.0 million) and the write-down of certain intangible assets in the steel products segment ($11.9 million).