NSC Dividend History & Analysis | 1.9% Yield

NSC has a dividend yield of 1.9% and paid 5.4 USD per share in the last 12M. Complete payout history, full analyses and peer comparison.

Yield 12m 1.85%
Payout Ratio 43.3%
Growth Rate CAGR 5y 3%
Consistency Lifetime 98.3%
Yield on Cost 5y 2.3%
Payout FCF 31.7%
Streak Years 5
Dividend Rating 51.6%
Chowder Number yield + growth 4.9% below 15% target for healthy growth
Yield vs Average 5y -5.3% avg 1.95% vs now 1.85%
Debt / EBITDA leverage 2.9x healthy
Income per 10k invested 185 USD per year
Dividends Cash Amount per Share Yearly NSC annual dividends paid per share, showing the total cash Norfolk Southern distributed to shareholders each year.
Dividend Growth Year over Year NSC year-over-year dividend growth rate, showing how Norfolk Southern's dividend per share increased or decreased each year compared to the prior year.
Price and Yield per Payout History NSC dividend yield history versus share price over the past 5 years, showing how Norfolk Southern's payout yield moved at each dividend payment relative to its stock price.
┅┅ Payout Yield (right) Price (left)

Top Dividend Payers in Rail Transportation

Top 6 Dividend Yields of Peer-Group
SYMBOL MARKET CAP USD YIELD TTM YIELD ON COST 5y
GET PA
Getlink SE
11,609 M 4.46% 6.93%
CNI NYSE
Canadian National Railway
76,850 M 2.51% 2.78%
UNP NYSE
Union Pacific
179,153 M 2.26% 2.81%
NSC NYSE
Norfolk Southern
75,926 M 1.85% 2.26%
CSX NASDAQ
CSX
92,703 M 1.41% 1.76%
CP NYSE
Canadian Pacific Kansas City
83,190 M 0.87% 0.97%
Top 6 Dividend Growth Rates of Peer-Group
SYMBOL MARKET CAP USD GROWTH RATE CONSISTENCY
GET PA
Getlink SE
11,609 M 53.67% 100.0%
CSX NASDAQ
CSX
92,703 M 8.94% 100.0%
CNI NYSE
Canadian National Railway
76,850 M 4.98% 100.0%
UNP NYSE
Union Pacific
179,153 M 2.75% 100.0%
NSC NYSE
Norfolk Southern
75,926 M 3.02% 98.3%
CP NYSE
Canadian Pacific Kansas City
83,190 M 2.53% 97.6%

NSC Dividend History

Dividend Monthly Return EX date, 4.9 years of data

Jan - -
Feb 0.50% 100
Mar - -
Apr - -
May 0.55% 100
Jun - -
Jul - -
Aug 0.51% 100
Sep - -
Oct - -
Nov 0.53% 100
Dec - -

Average monthly dividend return by ex-dividend date. The score below shows reliability based on how consistently dividends were paid in that month.

Last 20 Payments (USD) as of July 2026
EX-DATE RECORD PAYMENT PERIOD DIV/SHARE GROWTH PAYOUT YIELD
2026-05-08 2026-05-08 2026-05-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.43%
2026-02-06 2026-02-06 2026-02-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.45%
2025-11-07 2025-11-07 2025-11-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.48%
2025-08-01 2025-08-01 2025-08-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.49%
2025-05-02 2025-05-02 2025-05-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.6%
2025-02-07 2025-02-07 2025-02-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.54%
2024-11-01 2024-11-01 2024-11-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.54%
2024-08-02 2024-08-02 2024-08-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.55%
2024-05-02 2024-05-03 2024-05-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.59%
2024-02-01 2024-02-02 2024-02-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.54%
2023-11-02 2023-11-03 2023-11-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.71%
2023-08-03 2023-08-04 2023-08-21 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.59%
2023-05-04 2023-05-05 2023-05-20 Quarterly 1.35 0% 0.67%
2023-02-02 2023-02-03 2023-02-21 Quarterly 1.35 +8.9% 0.54%
2022-11-03 2022-11-04 2022-11-21 Quarterly 1.24 0% 0.56%
2022-08-05 2022-08-08 2022-08-20 Quarterly 1.24 0% 0.5%
2022-05-05 2022-05-06 2022-05-20 Quarterly 1.24 0% 0.48%
2022-02-03 2022-02-04 2022-02-21 Quarterly 1.24 +13.8% 0.45%
2021-11-04 2021-11-05 2021-11-19 Quarterly 1.09 0% 0.38%
2021-08-06 2021-08-09 2021-08-20 Quarterly 1.09 0% 0.43%

NSC Dividend FAQ

What is the Dividend Yield of NSC?

As of July 2026, NSC's dividend yield is 1.85%. This is calculated by dividing the trailing 12-month dividend rate (TTM rate) of 5.40 USD by the current share price of 330.94.

Does NSC pay a dividend?

As of July 2026, NSC paid a dividend of 5.40 USD in the last 12 months. The last dividend was paid on 2026-05-08 and the payout was 1.35 USD.

How often does NSC pay dividends?

NSC pays dividends quarterly. Over the last 12 months, NSC has issued 4 dividend payments. The last dividend payment was made on 2026-05-08.

NSC dividend forecast

Based on historical data, the forecasted dividends per share for NSC for the next payments are between 1.327 (-1.7%) and 1.36 (+0.7%). This suggests the dividend will remain relatively stable. The expected Yield for the next 12 months is about 1.62%.

Will NSC pay dividends in 2026?

The latest dividend paid per share was 1.35 USD with an Ex-Dividend Date of 2026-05-08. The next Ex-Dividend date for Norfolk Southern (NSC) is currently unknown.

What is the next Ex-Dividend Date for NSC?

The next Ex-Dividend date for Norfolk Southern (NSC) is currently unknown. We automatically update the next Ex-Dividend date when it is announced.

What is the Dividend Growth of NSC?

NSC's average dividend growth rate over the past 5 years is 3.02% per year. Strong growth: NSC's dividend growth is outpacing inflation.

What is the Yield on Cost of NSC?

NSC's 5-Year Yield on Cost is 2.26%. If you bought NSC's shares at 238.79 USD five years ago, your current annual dividend income (5.40 USD per share, trailing 12 months) equals 2.26% of your original purchase price.

What is the Payout Consistency of NSC?

NSC Payout Consistency is 98.3%. The payout consistency is a proprietary measure of how consistently a company has paid dividends over its lifetime and blends growth rate, number of dividend payments, interruptions or lowering dividends into one number. Very consistent: Norfolk Southern has a strong track record of consistent dividend payments over its lifetime.

Does NSC have a good Dividend Yield?

NSC's 1.85% Dividend Yield is considered as low. This is usually a sign of a growth company.

What is the Dividend Payout Ratio of NSC?

The Dividend Payout Ratio of NSC is 43.3%. Healthy - Leaves room for growth and provides some protection to maintain dividends even in a recession.

What is the Dividend Rating of NSC?

NSC's Overall Dividend Rating is 51.58%. Ratings surpassing 65% are regarded as acceptable, exceeding 75% are favorable and surpassing 85% are strong.

NSC Outstanding Shares Analysis

The Chart shows the outstanding shares over time per year.
What is the Trend in NSC's Outstanding Shares?

Norfolk Southern's outstanding shares have decreased by approximately 0.24% annually over the past 3 years (Trend Reliability: -79.3%). Slightly positive: The company is modestly reducing its share count through buybacks. This provides a small tailwind to earnings per share and dividend sustainability.

Has NSC ever had a Stock Split?

Yes, the last stock split was on Oct 10, 1997 with a ratio of 3:1. This was a forward split: Each share became 3 shares, lowering the price proportionally. The dividend per share was also adjusted downward by the same ratio, so total dividend income remained unchanged.

YEAR NUMBER OF SHARES ANNUAL GROWTH RATE
1985 566,400,000 0%
1986 555,652,200 -1.9%
1987 564,772,700 +1.64%
1988 543,636,400 -3.74%
1989 518,965,500 -4.54%
1990 476,333,300 -8.21%
1991 442,058,800 -7.2%
1992 428,823,500 -2.99%
1993 413,913,000 -3.48%
1994 399,399,200 -3.51%
1995 387,098,500 -3.08%
1996 376,363,300 -2.77%
1997 375,409,800 -0.25%
1998 373,333,300 -0.55%
1999 400,000,000 +7.14%
2000 389,473,700 -2.63%
2001 390,909,100 +0.37%
2002 387,037,000 -0.99%
2003 395,000,000 +2.06%
2004 404,166,700 +2.32%
2005 412,162,200 +1.98%
2006 395,833,300 -3.96%
2007 377,922,100 -4.52%
2008 366,200,000 -3.1%
2009 369,500,000 +0.9%
2010 355,200,000 -3.87%
2011 328,300,000 -7.57%
2012 318,600,000 -2.95%
2013 312,300,000 -1.98%
2014 312,000,000 -0.1%
2015 300,400,000 -3.72%
2016 293,700,000 -2.23%
2017 287,800,000 -2.01%
2018 273,500,000 -4.97%
2019 261,600,000 -4.35%
2020 254,700,000 -2.64%
2021 243,500,000 -4.4%
2022 230,700,000 -5.26%
2023 226,300,000 -1.91%
2024 226,500,000 +0.09%
2025 224,800,000 -0.75%
2026 225,102,900 +0.13%

Key Metric Definitions

Dividend Yield

Annual dividend per share divided by current share price.

Payout Ratio

Percentage of earnings paid as dividends. Below 60% = safe, above 100% = unsustainable.

Payout FCF

Percentage of Free Cash Flow paid as dividends. More reliable than Payout Ratio since it measures actual cash.

Growth Rate (CAGR)

Compound annual growth rate of dividends over the last 5 years.

Consistency

Reliability of dividend payments over lifetime. Penalizes cuts and pauses.

Yield on Cost

Your effective yield if you bought 5 years ago. Shows dividend growth impact over time.

Streak

Consecutive years of dividend payments. 25+ years = Dividend Aristocrat.

Dividend Rating

Proprietary score (0-100) combining yield, growth, safety and consistency.

Last update: 2026-07-19 02:06 UTC