SLGN vs NUE

For growth investors, Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) is the stronger pick with 10. 7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 5. 7% for Nucor Corporation (NUE). Silgan Holdings Inc. (SLGN) offers the better valuation at 14. 6x trailing P/E (10. 4x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Silgan Holdings Inc. (SLGN) a "Buy" — based on 21 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) is the cheapest at 14. 6x versus Nucor Corporation at 30. 9x. On forward P/E, Silgan Holdings Inc. is actually cheaper at 10. 4x.

Over the past 5 years, Nucor Corporation (NUE) delivered a total return of +161.

1%, compared to -0. 5% for Silgan Holdings Inc. (SLGN). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: NUE returned +416. 3% versus SLGN's +78. 4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 66β versus Nucor Corporation's 1. 03β — meaning NUE is approximately 56% more volatile than SLGN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Nucor Corporation (NUE) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 32% versus 2% for Silgan Holdings Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) is pulling ahead at 10. 7% versus 5. 7% for Nucor Corporation (NUE). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Silgan Holdings Inc. grew EPS 4. 7% year-over-year, compared to -11. 1% for Nucor Corporation. Over a 3-year CAGR, SLGN leads at 0. 4% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Nucor Corporation (NUE) is the more profitable company, earning 5.

4% net margin versus 4. 4% for Silgan Holdings Inc. — meaning it keeps 5. 4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SLGN leads at 10. 2% versus 8. 2% for NUE. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SLGN leads at 17. 7%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) trades at 10. 4x forward P/E versus 16. 5x for Nucor Corporation — 6. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SLGN: 28. 0% to $50. 50.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Silgan Holdings Inc. (SLGN) offers the highest yield at 2. 0%, versus 1. 0% for Nucor Corporation (NUE).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 66), 2. 0% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SLGN: +78. 4%, NUE: +416. 3%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (SLGN (Consumer Cyclical) and NUE (Basic Materials)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: SLGN is a small-cap deep-value stock; NUE is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.