text: Nucor Raises Forecast, Payout, Sets Split  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nucor Corp. &lt;A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NUE.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"&gt;NUE.N&lt;/A&gt;, one of the top  U.S. steelmakers, raised its quarterly profit forecast as much  as 44 percent on Thursday due to surging steel prices, sending  its shares to more than 20-year highs.