NSC Stock Analysis: Norfolk Southern | NYSE
Railroads | NYSE, USA | Market Cap: 75.111m USD | 12M Return: 23.6% | US6558441084 | Charts, Fundamentals & Technical Analysis
Avg Turnover: 421M
EPS Trend: 63.8%
Qual. Beats: 1
Rev. Trend: 42.7%
Qual. Beats: 1
Warnings
Tailwinds
Seasonality 11.6 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: 2.64b TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue |
| FCF/TA: 0.08 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA 3.92 > 1.0 |
| NWC/Revenue: -4.54% < 20% (prev -6.24%; Δ 1.70% < -1%) |
| CFO/TA 0.08 > 3% & CFO 3.73b > Net Income 2.64b |
| Net Debt (15.8b) to EBITDA (5.42b): 2.91 < 3 |
| Current Ratio: 0.83 > 1.5 & < 3 |
| Outstanding Shares: last quarter (225.1m) vs 12m ago 0.05% < -2% |
| Gross Margin: 53.69% > 18% (prev 36.06%; Δ 17.64% > 0.5%) |
| Asset Turnover: 28.09% > 50% (prev 27.58%; Δ 0.51% > 0%) |
| Interest Coverage Ratio: 5.11 > 6 (EBIT TTM 4.01b / Interest Expense TTM 786.0m) |
| A: -0.01 (Total Current Assets 2.80b - Total Current Liabilities 3.37b) / Total Assets 45.1b |
| B: 0.31 (Retained Earnings 13.9b / Total Assets 45.1b) |
| C: 0.09 (EBIT TTM 4.01b / Avg Total Assets 44.6b) |
| D: 0.56 (Book Value of Equity 16.3b / Total Liabilities 28.9b) |
| Altman-Z'' = 2.12 = BBB |
| DSRI: 1.02 (Receivables 1.18b/1.12b, Revenue 12.5b/12.2b) |
| GMI: 0.67 (GM 36.06% / 53.69%) |
| AQI: 1.05 (AQ_t 0.13 / AQ_t-1 0.12) |
| SGI: 1.03 (Revenue 12.5b / 12.2b) |
| TATA: -0.02 (NI 2.64b - CFO 3.73b) / TA 45.1b) |
| Beneish M = -3.26 (Cap -4..+1) = AA |
As of August 21, 2026, the stock is trading at USD 346.62 with a total of 1,605,368 shares traded. Over the past week, the price has changed by +2.60%, over one month by +3.89%, over three months by +11.59% and over the past year by +23.55%.
Current recommended Stop Loss: 337.70 (which is 2.6% 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 | 365.3 | 5.4% |
P/E Trailing = 28.5821
P/E Forward = 26.5957
P/S = 5.9897
P/B = 4.6214
P/EG = 4.4304
Revenue TTM = 12.5b USD
EBIT TTM = 4.01b USD
EBITDA TTM = 5.42b USD
Long Term Debt = 16.0b USD (from longTermDebt, last quarter)
Short Term Debt = 649.0m USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 16.8b USD (from shortLongTermDebtTotal, last quarter) + Leases 218.0m
Net Debt = 15.8b USD (calculated: Debt 16.8b - CCE 1.07b)
Enterprise Value = 90.9b USD (75.1b + Debt 16.8b - CCE 1.07b)
Interest Coverage Ratio = 5.11 (Ebit TTM 4.01b / Interest Expense TTM 786.0m)
EV/FCF = 23.70x (Enterprise Value 90.9b / FCF TTM 3.83b)
FCF Yield = 4.22% (FCF TTM 3.83b / Enterprise Value 90.9b)
FCF Margin = 30.58% (FCF TTM 3.83b / Revenue TTM 12.5b)
Net Margin = 21.02% (Net Income TTM 2.64b / Revenue TTM 12.5b)
Gross Margin = 53.69% ((Revenue TTM 12.5b - Cost of Revenue TTM 5.81b) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = 66.84% (prev 43.06%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 2.01 (Enterprise Value 90.9b / Total Assets 45.1b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 4.67% (Interest Expense 786.0m / Debt 16.8b)
Taxrate = 21.62% (727.0m / 3.36b)
NOPAT = 3.15b (EBIT 4.01b * (1 - 21.62%))
Current Ratio = 0.83 (Total Current Assets 2.80b / Total Current Liabilities 3.37b)
Debt / Equity = 1.04 (Debt 16.8b / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 16.3b)
Debt / EBITDA = 2.91 (Net Debt 15.8b / EBITDA 5.42b)
Debt / FCF = 4.11 (Net Debt 15.8b / FCF TTM 3.83b)
Total Stockholder Equity = 15.7b (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = 5.91% (Net Income 2.64b / Total Assets 45.1b)
RoE = 16.80% (Net Income TTM 2.64b / Total Stockholder Equity 15.7b)
RoCE = 12.68% (EBIT 4.01b / Capital Employed (Equity 15.7b + L.T.Debt 16.0b))
RoIC = 7.53% (NOPAT 3.15b / Invested Capital 41.8b)
WACC = 7.21% (E(75.1b)/V(91.9b) * Re(8.0%) + D(16.8b)/V(91.9b) * Rd(4.67%) * (1-Tc(0.22)))
Discount Rate = 8.0% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.)
Shares (quarterly) Correlation: -80.71 | Cagr: -0.24%
[DCF] Terminal Value 77.97% ; FCFF base≈3.11b ; Y1≈3.57b ; Y5≈5.25b
[DCF] Fair Price = 281.4 (EV 79.0b - Net Debt 15.8b = Equity 63.2b / Shares 224.6m; r=8.35% [WACC [floored]]; 5y FCF grow 15.0% → 2.50% )
EPS Correlation: 63.84 | EPS CAGR: 1.98% | SUE: 1.97 | # QB: 1
Revenue Correlation: 42.71 | Revenue CAGR: 0.51% | SUE: 4.0 | # QB: 1
EPS current Quarter (2026-09-30): EPS=3.59 | Chg30d=+6.82% | Revisions=+81% | Analysts=19
EPS current Year (2026-12-31): EPS=12.97 | Chg30d=+4.98% | Revisions=+86% | GrowthEPS=+3.9% | GrowthRev=+8.7%
EPS next Year (2027-12-31): EPS=14.30 | Chg30d=+3.82% | Revisions=+86% | GrowthEPS=+10.2% | GrowthRev=+4.3%
[Analyst] Revisions Ratio: +94% (up=50, down=0)