The attached statement of cash flows for Nucor needs to be analyzed
| Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows – USD ($) | 12 Months Ended | ||
| Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | |
| Operating activities: | |||
| Net earnings | $ 900,416,000 | $ 193,030,000 | $ 778,564,000 |
| Adjustments: | |||
| Depreciation | 613,192,000 | 625,757,000 | 652,000,000 |
| Amortization | 73,862,000 | 74,260,000 | 72,423,000 |
| Stock-based compensation | 56,511,000 | 45,794,000 | 46,384,000 |
| Deferred income taxes | 71,455,000 | (246,836,000) | 70,801,000 |
| Distributions from affiliates | 40,602,000 | 15,132,000 | 53,738,000 |
| Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates | (38,757,000) | (5,329,000) | (13,505,000) |
| Impairments and losses on assets | 244,833,000 | 25,393,000 | |
| Changes in assets and liabilities (exclusive of acquisitions and dispositions): | |||
| Accounts receivable | (217,736,000) | 655,489,000 | (179,181,000) |
| Inventories | (132,639,000) | 1,061,202,000 | 11,326,000 |
| Accounts payable | 236,788,000 | (438,788,000) | (111,859,000) |
| Federal income taxes | 3,555,000 | 62,656,000 | (111,687,000) |
| Salaries, wages and related accruals | 133,544,000 | (56,267,000) | 67,973,000 |
| Other operating activities | (3,260,000) | (73,890,000) | (19,472,000) |
| Cash provided by operating activities | 1,737,533,000 | 2,157,043,000 | 1,342,898,000 |
| Investing activities: | |||
| Capital expenditures | (604,840,000) | (374,123,000) | (667,982,000) |
| Investment in and advances to affiliates | (63,167,000) | (80,409,000) | (97,841,000) |
| Divestiture of affiliates | 135,000,000 | ||
| Repayment of advances to affiliates | 122,000,000 | ||
| Disposition of plant and equipment | 18,571,000 | 29,390,000 | 36,563,000 |
| Acquisitions (net of cash acquired) | (474,788,000) | (19,089,000) | (768,581,000) |
| Purchases of investments | (650,000,000) | (111,927,000) | (100,000,000) |
| Proceeds from the sale of investments | 600,000,000 | 111,452,000 | 27,529,000 |
| Other investing activities | 14,106,000 | 3,010,000 | 10,250,000 |
| Cash used in investing activities | (1,025,118,000) | (441,696,000) | (1,438,062,000) |
| Financing activities: | |||
| Net change in short-term debt | (33,360,000) | (155,816,000) | 178,308,000 |
| Repayment of long-term debt | (16,300,000) | (5,358,000) | |
| Issuance of common stock | 15,751,000 | 424,000 | 5,614,000 |
| Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation | 2,784,000 | 2,000,000 | 3,400,000 |
| Distributions to noncontrolling interests | (99,588,000) | (71,938,000) | (63,705,000) |
| Cash dividends | (481,083,000) | (479,432,000) | (475,123,000) |
| Acquisition of treasury stock | (5,173,000) | (66,505,000) | 0 |
| Other financing activities | (13,297,000) | (2,184,000) | (2,183,000) |
| Cash used in financing activities | (613,966,000) | (789,751,000) | (359,047,000) |
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash | 8,043,000 | (10,271,000) | (4,897,000) |
| Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | 106,492,000 | 915,325,000 | (459,108,000) |
| Cash and cash equivalents-beginning of year | 1,939,469,000 | 1,024,144,000 | 1,483,252,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents-end of year | 2,045,961,000 | 1,939,469,000 | 1,024,144,000 |
| Non-cash investing activity: | |||
| Change in accrued plant and equipment purchases | $ 12,837,000 | $ (9,355,000) | $ (99,115,000) |
