NSC
Norfolk Southern
$304.17
▲ 1.4%Updated Today 7:15 PM ET
▲ Up 18.6% over the last 12 months
Market Cap
$67.40B
P/E
25.09x
Forward P/E (est.)
30.97x
ROE
17.4%
Revenue Growth
0.6%
EPS Growth
-19.0%
Profit Margin
21.9%
FCF Yield
4.7%
Debt / Equity
1.1x
ROIC
13.0%
Interest Coverage
5.4x
Current Ratio
0.91x
Dividend Yield
1.7%
Implied Growth (rev. DCF)
5.6%
Rating Score
45/100
Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what NSC's chart says today, with each tool explained.
Trend — moving averages. A moving average is the average closing price over a window, which smooths out daily noise. NSC trades near $304.17, around its 50-day average ($309.94) and 200-day average ($296.21). Price tangled in its moving averages means there is no clear trend — the stock is ranging.
Momentum — RSI. The Relative Strength Index runs 0–100 and measures how strong recent gains are versus losses. Above 70 is "overbought", below 30 "oversold". At 42 it is in neutral territory — neither stretched nor washed out.
MACD. MACD compares two moving averages to flag shifts in momentum. Its histogram is currently negative — short-term momentum is fading.
Volatility — ATR. Average True Range is the typical daily move. NSC's is $6.67 (~2.2% of price), so swings of about that size each day are normal — handy for setting a stop that isn't too tight.
Support & resistance. Over the last month NSC found buyers near $297.45 (support) and sellers near $326.00 (resistance); its 52-week range is $249.39–$326.00. A decisive break beyond either edge often marks the next move.
Volume. The latest session traded 1.3× the 20-day average — about normal. Rising volume on up-days suggests real buying; on down-days, real selling.
Educational information to help you read a chart — not a recommendation or a forecast. It updates daily as the price and indicators change.
Norfolk Southern (NSC) is a large-cap company in the Rail Transportation industry, part of the Industrials sector of the S&P 500, with a market value around $67.40B.
In its latest reported year it generated about $12.18B in revenue and $2.87B in net profit.
Our model rates NSC Neutral (45/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.
4Y CAGR
2.3%
Revenue moved from $11.14B in 2021 to $12.18B in 2025, a 2.3% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year was roughly flat (0.6%) year over year. Slower, mature growth is common for established businesses.
Gross Margin
49.3%
Operating Margin
35.8%
Net Margin
23.6%
ROE
17.4%
Norfolk Southern keeps about 21.9% of each sales dollar as net profit, with a 49.3% gross margin and 35.8% operating margin. Return on equity is 17.4% and return on invested capital about 13.0%. Margins this wide usually signal pricing power or a cost advantage.
Total Debt
$10.24B
Net Debt
$8.90B
Net Debt / EBITDA
2.04x
Debt / Equity
1.1x
Leverage: debt-to-equity is 1.1x, and operating profit covers interest about 5.4x, with a current ratio of 0.9x. That is a moderate, manageable debt load for most businesses. It carries roughly $10.24B of total debt against $1.34B of cash.
Operating CF
$4.36B
Free Cash Flow
$2.16B
FCF Margin
17.7%
In the latest year Norfolk Southern produced about $4.36B of operating cash flow and $2.16B of free cash flow after capital spending. That is a free-cash-flow yield of about 4.7% on today's price. Strong cash generation funds dividends, buybacks, and reinvestment.
P/E
25.09x
P/S
5.7x
P/B
4.39x
EV / EBITDA
13.69x
NSC trades at 25.1x trailing earnings (about 31.0x on estimated forward earnings), 5.7x sales, and 4.4x book value. Reverse-engineering today's price implies the market expects roughly 5.6% long-term free-cash-flow growth. That is a premium multiple that needs growth to justify it.
Where this stock sits versus what most companies trade at.
Typical ranges are general references (e.g., many stocks trade at ~18–26x earnings), not hard rules. Context only — not investment advice.
How NSC stacks up against its Industrials peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.
In the Industrials sector (80 S&P 500 companies), NSC ranks #57 of 80 by our overall rating. It trades at a discount versus the sector on earnings (25.1x P/E vs. 30x median) with a lower return on equity (17.4% vs. 24.7%) and slower revenue growth (0.6% vs. 5.0%).
P/E vs sector
25.1x
median 30x
ROE vs sector
17.4%
median 24.7%
Growth vs sector
0.6%
median 5.0%
Sector rank
#57
of 80 by rating
Valuation vs. quality map
The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.
Peers are the closest Industrials companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 80 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.
Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.
2030 price target (Base Case)
$226.33 – $377.21
vs. $304.17 today · expected CAGR -6% – 4%
| Metric | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $12.55B | $12.92B | $13.31B | $13.71B | $14.12B |
| Net income | $3.01B | $3.10B | $3.19B | $3.29B | $3.39B |
| EPS | $13.41 | $13.81 | $14.22 | $14.65 | $15.09 |
| Share price (low) | $201.09 | $207.12 | $213.34 | $219.74 | $226.33 |
| Share price (high) | $335.15 | $345.20 | $355.56 | $366.23 | $377.21 |
| CAGR (low–high) | -34% / 10% | -17% / 7% | -11% / 5% | -8% / 5% | -6% / 4% |
Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.
The case for NSC:
- High net margins (21.9%) point to pricing power or efficiency.
- Strong return on equity (17.4%) shows capital is put to work well.
- Healthy free-cash-flow yield (~4.7%) funds buybacks and dividends.
The case against NSC:
- Revenue growth is slow (0.6%), limiting the upside engine.
- Like any single stock, it is exposed to competition, the economic cycle, and shifts in its end markets.
Balance-sheet risk — debt/equity of 1.1x magnifies the impact of higher rates or weaker earnings.
Growth risk — sluggish revenue (0.6%) leaves little margin for execution missteps.
Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.
On balance, the picture is mixed: Norfolk Southern is a large-cap industrials business growing at a mature pace, with solid profitability, and a heavier debt load to watch. It trades at 25.1x earnings, which our model scores Neutral (45/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.
Data notice. Fundamentals and financial statements are sourced from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market-data providers; prices and market caps refresh on trading days and may be delayed. Ratings, projections, technical signals, and written summaries are model- or rule-generated for education and may simplify or lag the latest filings.
Not advice. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before investing.