NSC Stock Analysis: Norfolk Southern | NYSE
Railroads | NYSE, USA | Market Cap: 75.232m USD | 12M Return: 26.7% | Charts, Fundamentals & Technical Analysis
Avg Turnover: 297M
EPS Trend: -2.9%
Qual. Beats: 0
Rev. Trend: -41.1%
Qual. Beats: 0
Warnings
Tailwinds
Seasonality 10.5 years of data
How good or bad each month usually is (without trend). The score below shows how much you can trust it: 0 = pure chance, >40 gets interesting and >55 is strong.
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is a U.S.-based freight rail transportation company that hauls raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods across the country. The company is one of the Class I freight railroads, the largest carriers by revenue in North America, operating an extensive network across the eastern United States.
Its traffic is diversified across several major commodity groups: agriculture, forest, and consumer products (e.g., grain, fertilizers, paper, beverages, and food products); chemicals and petroleum-related goods (such as crude oil, plastics, and industrial chemicals); metals, construction materials, and military equipment; finished motor vehicles and automotive parts; and coal. This mix reflects the typical revenue structure of a Class I railroad, where bulk and industrial commodities are supplemented by growing intermodal and merchandise volumes.
In addition to its rail operations, Norfolk Southern provides port-to-inland freight services connecting Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports to interior markets, and runs a domestic intermodal network that links truck and rail transport. The company was incorporated in 1980 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Union Pacific merger approval reshapes Eastern rail competition
- Intermodal volume growth offsets structural coal segment declines
- East Palestine derailment liabilities remain unresolved financial overhang
| Net Income: 2.67b TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue |
| FCF/TA: 0.08 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA 4.16 > 1.0 |
| NWC/Revenue: -2.55% < 20% (prev -6.18%; Δ 3.63% < -1%) |
| CFO/TA 0.08 > 3% & CFO 3.75b > Net Income 2.67b |
| Net Debt (16.0b) to EBITDA (5.52b): 2.89 < 3 |
| Current Ratio: 0.91 > 1.5 & < 3 |
| Outstanding Shares: last quarter (225.1m) vs 12m ago -0.62% < -2% |
| Gross Margin: 45.31% > 18% (prev 36.25%; Δ 9.06% > 0.5%) |
| Asset Turnover: 27.41% > 50% (prev 27.65%; Δ -0.24% > 0%) |
| Interest Coverage Ratio: 5.22 > 6 (EBIT TTM 4.12b / Interest Expense TTM 790.0m) |
| A: -0.01 (Total Current Assets 3.02b - Total Current Liabilities 3.33b) / Total Assets 45.1b |
| B: 0.30 (Retained Earnings 13.5b / Total Assets 45.1b) |
| C: 0.09 (EBIT TTM 4.12b / Avg Total Assets 44.5b) |
| D: 0.54 (Book Value of Equity 15.8b / Total Liabilities 29.3b) |
| Altman-Z'' = 2.12 = BBB |
| DSRI: 0.91 (Receivables 1.12b/1.23b, Revenue 12.2b/12.1b) |
| GMI: 0.80 (GM 36.25% / 45.31%) |
| AQI: 1.04 (AQ_t 0.13 / AQ_t-1 0.12) |
| SGI: 1.01 (Revenue 12.2b / 12.1b) |
| TATA: -0.02 (NI 2.67b - CFO 3.75b) / TA 45.1b) |
| Beneish M = -3.26 (Cap -4..+1) = AA |
As of July 24, 2026, the stock is trading at USD 348.55 with a total of 2,748,135 shares traded. Over the past week, the price has changed by +3.10%, over one month by +14.89%, over three months by +8.90% and over the past year by +26.67%.
Current recommended Stop Loss: 341.10 (which is 2.1% or 1.3 ATR below the current price).
Norfolk Southern has received a consensus analysts rating of 3.85. Therefore, it is recommended to buy NSC.
- StrongBuy: 11
- Buy: 3
- Hold: 12
- Sell: 0
- StrongSell: 1
| Analysts Target Price | 341.7 | -2% |
P/E Trailing = 27.9274
P/E Forward = 27.1003
P/S = 6.0999
P/B = 4.7082
P/EG = 4.8334
Revenue TTM = 12.2b USD
EBIT TTM = 4.12b USD
EBITDA TTM = 5.52b USD
Long Term Debt = 16.5b USD (from longTermDebt, last quarter)
Short Term Debt = 609.0m USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 17.3b USD (from shortLongTermDebtTotal, last quarter) + Leases 218.0m
Net Debt = 16.0b USD (calculated: Debt 17.3b - CCE 1.34b)
Enterprise Value = 91.2b USD (75.2b + Debt 17.3b - CCE 1.34b)
Interest Coverage Ratio = 5.22 (Ebit TTM 4.12b / Interest Expense TTM 790.0m)
EV/FCF = 23.86x (Enterprise Value 91.2b / FCF TTM 3.82b)
FCF Yield = 4.19% (FCF TTM 3.82b / Enterprise Value 91.2b)
FCF Margin = 31.37% (FCF TTM 3.82b / Revenue TTM 12.2b)
Net Margin = 21.91% (Net Income TTM 2.67b / Revenue TTM 12.2b)
Gross Margin = 45.31% ((Revenue TTM 12.2b - Cost of Revenue TTM 6.66b) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = 43.06% (prev 70.51%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 2.02 (Enterprise Value 91.2b / Total Assets 45.1b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 4.56% (Interest Expense 790.0m / Debt 17.3b)
Taxrate = 21.52% (732.0m / 3.40b)
NOPAT = 3.24b (EBIT 4.12b * (1 - 21.52%))
Current Ratio = 0.91 (Total Current Assets 3.02b / Total Current Liabilities 3.33b)
Debt / Equity = 1.10 (Debt 17.3b / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 15.8b)
Debt / EBITDA = 2.89 (Net Debt 16.0b / EBITDA 5.52b)
Debt / FCF = 4.18 (Net Debt 16.0b / FCF TTM 3.82b)
Total Stockholder Equity = 15.3b (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = 6.01% (Net Income 2.67b / Total Assets 45.1b)
RoE = 17.43% (Net Income TTM 2.67b / Total Stockholder Equity 15.3b)
RoCE = 12.96% (EBIT 4.12b / Capital Employed (Equity 15.3b + L.T.Debt 16.5b))
RoIC = 7.74% (NOPAT 3.24b / Invested Capital 41.8b)
WACC = 7.11% (E(75.2b)/V(92.6b) * Re(7.92%) + D(17.3b)/V(92.6b) * Rd(4.56%) * (1-Tc(0.22)))
Discount Rate = 7.92% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.)
Shares (quarterly) Correlation: -79.27 | Cagr: -0.24%
[DCF] Terminal Value 77.97% ; FCFF base≈3.05b ; Y1≈3.49b ; Y5≈5.14b
[DCF] Fair Price = 273.5 (EV 77.4b - Net Debt 16.0b = Equity 61.4b / Shares 224.6m; r=8.35% [WACC [floored]]; 5y FCF grow 15.0% → 2.50% )
EPS Correlation: -2.90 | EPS CAGR: -0.12% | SUE: 0.61 | # QB: 0
Revenue Correlation: -41.06 | Revenue CAGR: -0.62% | SUE: 0.03 | # QB: 0
EPS current Quarter (2026-06-30): EPS=3.32 | Chg30d=+4.95% | Revisions=+62% | Analysts=19
EPS next Quarter (2026-09-30): EPS=3.38 | Chg30d=+2.76% | Revisions=+57% | Analysts=16
EPS current Year (2026-12-31): EPS=12.42 | Chg30d=+2.14% | Revisions=+62% | GrowthEPS=-0.6% | GrowthRev=+6.0%
EPS next Year (2027-12-31): EPS=13.85 | Chg30d=+2.23% | Revisions=+62% | GrowthEPS=+11.5% | GrowthRev=+4.3%
[Analyst] Revisions Ratio: +86% (up=19, down=0)