Equities Analysts Set Expectations for NSC FY2025 Earnings

Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC) – Zacks Research lifted their FY2025 earnings estimates for Norfolk Southern in a research note issued to investors on Monday, January 20th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now anticipates that the railroad operator will post earnings of $12.98 per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of $12.92. The consensus estimate for Norfolk Southern’s current full-year earnings is $11.78 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Norfolk Southern’s Q4 2025 earnings at $3.32 EPS and Q4 2026 earnings at $3.31 EPS.

NSC has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Citigroup increased their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $302.00 to $316.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Norfolk Southern from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Loop Capital upped their price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern from $285.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Benchmark lifted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $275.68.

Norfolk Southern Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NSC opened at $256.47 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.73. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $249.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $247.33. The stock has a market cap of $58.02 billion, a PE ratio of 24.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.34. Norfolk Southern has a one year low of $206.71 and a one year high of $277.60.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 22nd. The railroad operator reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.11 by $0.14. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 19.85% and a return on equity of 20.25%. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.08 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.65 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis.

Insider Transactions at Norfolk Southern

In related news, Director Sameh Fahmy purchased 350 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $249.37 per share, for a total transaction of $87,279.50. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 10,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,580,979.50. This trade represents a 3.50 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NSC. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 16,496 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $3,542,000 after buying an additional 402 shares during the period. Summit Trail Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 6.6% during the second quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 1,283 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $276,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 27.4% during the second quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 40,812 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $8,762,000 after purchasing an additional 8,770 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 8.5% during the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 31,207 shares of the railroad operator’s stock worth $6,700,000 after purchasing an additional 2,451 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 13,192.9% in the second quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 1,861 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 1,847 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the company’s stock.

About Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods in the United States. The company transports agriculture, forest, and consumer products comprising soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizers, livestock and poultry feed, food products, food oils, flour, sweeteners, ethanol, lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, beverages, and canned goods; chemicals consist of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products comprising crude oil, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, sand, and natural gas liquids; metals and construction materials, such as steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, minerals, clay, transportation equipment, and military-related products; and automotive, including finished motor vehicles and automotive parts, as well as coal.