Norfolk Southern [NSC] vs CSX [CSX] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 20 vital metrics comparison: Norfolk Southern wins in 10 metrics, CSX wins in 10 metrics, with 0 ties. Both stocks appear equally matched on key metrics.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

MetricNorfolk SouthernCSXBetter
P/E Ratio (TTM)19.6220.37Norfolk Southern
Price-to-Book Ratio4.415.00Norfolk Southern
Debt-to-Equity Ratio121.06160.11Norfolk Southern
PEG Ratio4.02-1.84CSX
EV/EBITDA13.2612.19CSX
Profit Margin (TTM)27.51%21.92%Norfolk Southern
Operating Margin (TTM)37.27%36.09%Norfolk Southern
EBITDA Margin (TTM)37.27%36.09%Norfolk Southern
Return on Equity24.13%24.82%CSX
Return on Assets (TTM)6.75%7.25%CSX
Free Cash Flow (TTM)$1.67B$2.72BCSX
Dividend Yield1.61%1.83%CSX
1-Year Return19.52%-2.17%Norfolk Southern
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)5.354.37CSX
Enterprise Value$80.32B$80.91BCSX
EV/Revenue Ratio6.605.72CSX
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)39.71%35.90%Norfolk Southern
Revenue per Share (TTM)$54$7Norfolk Southern
Earnings per Share (Diluted)$14.81$1.63Norfolk Southern
Beta (Stock Volatility)1.291.25CSX
Performance
News Sentiment
Key Stats
Valuation
Financials
Short Interest
Dividends

Norfolk Southern vs CSX Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Norfolk Southern0.43%4.21%6.19%15.42%25.88%25.56%
CSX-0.12%1.05%2.96%3.97%14.39%5.04%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Norfolk Southern19.52%40.51%38.52%272.83%399.10%626.26%
CSX-2.17%26.80%31.34%271.21%451.06%1,209.30%

News Based Sentiment: Norfolk Southern vs CSX

Norfolk Southern

News based Sentiment: POSITIVE

September was a pivotal month for Norfolk Southern, marked by a potential transformative merger with Union Pacific, boosted by a presidential endorsement, and supported by growing institutional investment. While the merger is still years away and subject to regulatory approval, the positive developments significantly enhance the company's long-term prospects.

View Norfolk Southern News Sentiment Analysis

CSX

News based Sentiment: MIXED

September brought a blend of positive and negative developments for CSX, including analyst upgrades alongside lowered earnings estimates and varied investor activity. While operational improvements are underway, the mixed signals create a cautious outlook, making it a moderately significant month for investors.

View CSX News Sentiment Analysis

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Norfolk Southern vs CSX

MetricNSCCSX
Market Information
Market Cap i$66.11B$61.89B
Market Cap CategoryLarge capLarge cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i2,058,71914,524,762
90 Day Avg. Volume i2,015,95621,191,234
Last Close$294.57$33.78
52 Week Range$201.63 - $296.38$26.22 - $37.25
% from 52W High-0.61%-9.32%
All-Time High$299.20 (Dec 27, 2021)$40.12 (Feb 19, 2024)
% from All-Time High-1.55%-15.80%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.02%-0.03%
Quarterly Earnings Growth0.04%-0.14%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.28%0.22%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.37%0.36%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.24%0.25%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i121.06160.11
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$65.83$6.64
Cash per Share (MRQ)$5.80$0.21
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$4.20B$4.96B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$1.45B$1.48B
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i1.61%1.83%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$4.05$0.63

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Norfolk Southern vs CSX

MetricNSCCSX
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i19.6220.37
Forward P/E i21.4016.35
PEG Ratio i4.02-1.84
Price to Sales (TTM) i5.354.37
Price to Book (MRQ) i4.415.00
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$66.11B$61.89B
Enterprise Value i$80.32B$80.91B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i6.605.72
Enterprise to EBITDA i13.2612.19
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i1.291.25
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$65.83$6.64

Financial Statements Comparison: Norfolk Southern vs CSX

Financial Metrics

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Revenue

EBITDA

Shareholders Equity

Operating Margin

Free Cash Flow

Long Term Debt

Profit Margin

Current Ratio

Operating Cash Flow

Income Statement (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)NSCCSX
Revenue/Sales i$3.11B$3.57B
Cost of Goods Sold i$1.88B$2.29B
Gross Profit i$1.24B$1.28B
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i$1.23B$1.28B
EBITDA i$1.60B$1.73B
Pre-Tax Income i$998.00M$1.09B
Income Tax i$230.00M$264.00M
Net Income (Profit) i$768.00M$829.00M

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)NSCCSX
Cash & Equivalents i$1.01B$1.14B
Total Current Assets i$2.70B$3.02B
Total Current Liabilities i$3.45B$3.42B
Long-Term Debt i$16.66B$19.01B
Total Shareholders Equity i$14.51B$12.18B
Retained Earnings i$12.30B$9.66B
Property, Plant & Equipment i$49.99B$53.16B

Cash Flow Statement Comparison (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)NSCCSX
Operating Cash Flow i$973.00M$1.17B
Capital Expenditures i$-431.00M$-750.00M
Free Cash Flow i$501.00M$-141.00M
Debt Repayment i$-1.00M$-1.00M
Common Stock Repurchase i$-257.00M$-421.00M

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricNSCCSX
Shares Short i2.94M29.14M
Short Ratio i1.091.19
Short % of Float i0.01%0.02%
Average Daily Volume (10 Day) i2,058,71914,524,762
Average Daily Volume (90 Day) i2,015,95621,191,234
Shares Outstanding i226.32M1.90B
Float Shares i224.19M1.86B
% Held by Insiders i0.00%0.00%
% Held by Institutions i0.81%0.80%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Norfolk Southern vs CSX

MetricNSCCSX
Last 12-Month Dividend i$4.05$0.63
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i1.61%1.83%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$4.88$0.50
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.56%0.35%
3-Year Total Dividends i$14.63$1.51
Ex-Dividend DateFeb 07, 2025Aug 29, 2025