Stock Analysis
Norfolk Southern Corp.NSC
P/E 27.86×· 5Y range 14.09–41.29×· top 14% of history
Sector: Industrials · Industry: Railroads, Line-Haul Operating
AnalystsHold26 analystsP/E 27.9× sits at the 86th percentile of its 5.0978781656399725-year history.
Cash covers 6% of debt · Q2 2026.
PMP Verdict
Mixed fundamentals, expensive valuation
Strengths
- Profitability82
- Quality82
Risks
- Valuation29
- Growth32
Mixed fundamentals at a demanding price.
Bull Case
- ✓Piotroski F-Score 7/9 — high earnings quality
- ✓ROE 16.2% — efficient capital deployment
What's happening with NSC
Profile
Strong profitability and earnings quality; valuation, growth and financial health lag behind.
How is each axis scored?
- Valuation29/100 · Weak
- P/E vs own history (86th pct)0/25
- FCF yield (2.2%)5/25
- P/S (5.9x)12/25
- EV/EBIT (22.2x)12/25
- Growth32/100 · Weak
- Revenue CAGR (2.3%)6/25
- Net income CAGR (-1.1%)0/25
- EPS CAGR 5Y (1.3%)6/25
- Fwd implied growth (23.6%)20/25
- Profitability82/100 · Strong
- ROIC (9.9%)12/25
- ROE (16.2%)20/25
- Net margin (21.0%)25/25
- Operating margin (32.2%)25/25
- Financial Health47/100 · Weak
- Altman Z (2.24)18/25
- Current ratio (0.83)6/25
- Interest coverage (5.0x)18/25
- Net cash / debt (D/A 36%)5/25
- Quality82/100 · Strong
- Piotroski F (7/9)22/25
- Beneish M (-2.59)25/25
- FCF conversion (62%)15/25
- Margin stability (σ 5.9%)20/25
- Moat69/100 · Moderate
- ROIC >12% years (3/10 yrs)6/25
- Median gross margin (35.3%)13/25
- FCF-positive years (10/10 yrs)25/25
- Worst-year net margin (worst 15.0%)25/25
Risk Flags
- ⚠P/E 27.9× at top 14% of 5-year history
About Norfolk Southern Corp.
Class I railroad Norfolk Southern operates in the Eastern United States. Show more
On more than 20,000 miles of track, the rail hauls shipments of coal, intermodal traffic, and a diverse mix of automotive, agricultural, metal, chemical, and forest products.
Headquarters: ATLANTA, GA · Employees: 19,300 · Website ↗
Price History
Weekly Candlestick Chart — up to 5Y
Key Metrics
Financial snapshot · Tap any metric for its definition and grade
TTM Snapshot
trailing twelve months · YoYValuation
29EP/E (TTM)27.9xC
Grade C: ExpensivePrice / TTM EPS (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 14.1x–41.3x · 86th pct
P/FCF43.6xC
Grade C: ExpensivePrice / Free Cash Flow per share (Finnhub). Inverse of FCF yield — negative when FCF is negative · Elevated investment — CapEx = 56% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
FCF Yield2.2%C
Grade C: LowTTM (OCF − CapEx) / Market Cap — vs own 5Y history: 0.6%–5.6% · 26th pct · Elevated investment — CapEx = 56% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
P/S (TTM)5.86xC
Grade C: ExpensivePrice / TTM Revenue (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 3.4x–6.8x · 86th pct
EV/EBIT22.2xC
Grade C: ExpensiveEnterprise value / TTM EBIT (D&A not in our data) — capital-structure neutral — vs own 5Y history: 12.6x–32.0x · 86th pct
EV/Sales7.0xC
Grade C: ExpensiveEnterprise Value / TTM Revenue (Finnhub) — capital-structure neutral sales multiple
Forward P/E22.5xB
Grade B: FairPrice / next-year EPS estimate — shows whether the TTM multiple is rich or just front-loading growth
P/B Ratio4.52xC
Grade C: ExpensivePrice to Book Value. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
PEG Ratio4.52D
Grade D: ExpensiveFinnhub PEG — their P/E basis ÷ expected EPS growth. Suppressed when their P/E diverges >2× from our TTM P/E (different basis)
Dividend Yield1.67%A
Grade A: PaysTTM dividend yield (Finnhub) — annual dividends / price. None = no dividend; very high yield can signal distress
Payout Ratio46.0%A
Grade A: SafeDividends / Net Income (Finnhub) — share of earnings paid out; >90% or negative = unsustainable
Elevated investment: Elevated investment — CapEx = 56% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
Profitability
82AROIC9.9%C
Grade C: AverageNOPAT (EBIT less ~21% tax) / invested capital (equity + debt − cash). Flagship quality metric — durable >15% signals a moat
ROE16.2%C
Grade C: AverageReturn on Equity. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
ROA5.9%C
Grade C: AverageReturn on Assets (Finnhub) — Net Income / Total Assets; how efficiently assets produce profit
Net Margin21.0%A
Grade A: HighNet Income / Revenue
Operating Margin32.2%A
Grade A: HighTTM EBIT / TTM Revenue
Gross Margin32.2%C
Grade C: AverageGross Profit / Revenue
FCF Margin13.0%C
Grade C: AverageFCF / Revenue · Elevated investment — CapEx = 56% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
True FCF Margin13.0%A
Grade A: HighTTM (OCF − CapEx − SBC) / TTM Revenue — SBC treated as a real cost · Elevated investment — CapEx = 56% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
Growth
32DRevenue CAGR2.3%D
Grade D: LowCompound annual revenue growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
Net Income CAGR-1.1%D
Grade D: LowCompound annual net income growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
EPS CAGR (5Y)1.3%D
Grade D: LowCompound annual EPS growth over up to 5Y of per-share earnings (own statements). Null when either endpoint EPS ≤ 0
Implied EPS Growth23.6%C
Grade C: MedAnalyst forward EPS (normalized basis) vs our GAAP TTM EPS — different bases, so extreme values usually mark cyclically depressed TTM earnings, not real growth
Dilution (5Y)-10.6%A
Grade A: BuybacksShare count change over 5Y
SBC / Net Income—
Stock-based comp/Net income. >30% = dilution risk
SBC / Revenue—
TTM stock-based comp / TTM Revenue
Financial Health
47D+Altman Z-Score2.24C
Grade C: Gray zoneBankruptcy risk. >3 Safe, <1.8 Distress
Current Ratio0.83xD
Grade D: LowCurrent Assets/Liabilities
Quick Ratio0.73xC
Grade C: Ok(Current Assets − Inventory) / Current Liabilities (Finnhub) — stricter liquidity test, excludes inventory
Interest Coverage5.0xC
Grade C: OkEBIT/Interest. >10 Strong
Debt Repayment9.9yC
Grade C: AverageYears to repay net debt via FCF · Elevated investment — CapEx = 56% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
Net Debt/EBIT4.0xC
Grade C: MedLeverage. <2x Low, >4x High
Debt/Equity1.06xC
Grade C: MedDebt / Equity: <1 Conservative, >2 Risky. Not meaningful with non-positive equity; shown as unavailable rather than low debt.
Cash / Debt0.06xD
Grade D: ThinCash covers how much of total debt. >1 = could repay all debt from cash
Quality
82APiotroski F-Score7/9A
Grade A: StrongFinancial strength 0–9. >7 Strong
Beneish M-Score-2.59A
Grade A: SafeEarnings manipulation risk. < -2.22 Safe
FCF Conversion61.9%C
Grade C: AverageFCF / Net Income · Elevated investment — CapEx = 56% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
Margin Stability5.9%A
Grade A: StableEBIT margin std deviation. Lower = stable
Capex / Revenue16.8%D
Grade D: HeavyTTM CapEx / TTM Revenue — high % = capital-hungry business
Asset Turnover0.28xD
Grade D: LowRevenue / Total Assets (Finnhub) — how efficiently the asset base generates sales
Insider Transactions
SEC Form 4 · 8 recordsP/S codes are the directional signal; grants, option exercises and tax withholding carry none. Form 4 doesn't flag 10b5-1 plans — scheduled sales may appear within open-market sells.
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Huffard John C Jr Filed | Huffard John C Jr | BuyW | +333 | |
Huffard John C Jr Filed | Huffard John C Jr | Grant / award | +172 | |
ANDERSON RICHARD H Filed | ANDERSON RICHARD H | Grant / award | +178 | |
George Mark R Filed | George Mark R | Option exercise | -2653 | |
George Mark R Filed | George Mark R | Tax withholding | -1035 |
Show 3 more filingsShow fewer filings
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
George Mark R Filed | George Mark R | Option exercise | +2.7K | |
Fahmy Sameh Filed | Fahmy Sameh | Grant / award | +7 | |
Heitkamp Mary Kathryn Filed | Heitkamp Mary Kathryn | Grant / award | +7 |
Option exercise (M) rows report a derivative leg, not an open-market sale — a paired negative entry is the option position being consumed.
More metrics — Moat, Per Share, Balance Sheet, MarketHide additional metrics
Moat
69BROIC >12% Years3/10 yrsD
Grade D: WeakShare of completed fiscal years with ROIC > 12% — measures multi-year capital-return durability
Gross Margin (Med.)35.3%C
Grade C: ModerateMedian annual gross margin across available fiscal years — pricing-power durability
FCF-Positive Years10/10 yrsA
Grade A: DurableShare of completed fiscal years with positive free cash flow
Net Margin Floor15.0%A
Grade A: DurableWeakest annual net margin across completed fiscal years — recession/downcycle resilience
Per Share
EPS (TTM)$11.74
Own TTM net income / shares — same earnings basis as P/E
Cash / Share$4.76
Cash & short-term investments per share (Finnhub)
Book Value / Share$72.36
Shareholders' equity per share (Finnhub). Negative = accumulated losses / heavy buybacks
Balance Sheet
Total Debt$17.15B
Total debt obligations (short + long term)
Cash & Equiv.$1.07B
Cash and short-term investments
Net Debt$16.08B
Total Debt minus Cash. Negative = Net Cash position
Total Equity$16.25B
Shareholders' equity (book value)
Asset / Liability1.56xC
Grade C: AdequateTotal Assets / Total Liabilities
Market
Market Cap$73.43B
Current Market Capitalization
Beta1.21C
Grade C: VolatilePrice sensitivity vs the market (Finnhub) — 1.0 moves with market, >1.2 amplifies swings
How grades work: each metric is graded A–D against fixed thresholds (tap a row for the meaning). Card grades map the pillar score to A+–E — a card grade is that pillar's own score, not an average of the rows shown.
Financials as of Jun 2026 · Ratio snapshot Oct 17, 2026
Key Insights: Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC)
NSC is up 0.64% at the last close. Norfolk Southern Corp. meets 7 of 9 Piotroski F-Score criteria, placing its fundamental strength in the top tier of US-listed stocks. Altman Z-Score of 2.24 falls in the grey zone (1.81–2.99) — financial distress is unlikely but not ruled out.
- Beneish M-Score of -2.59 suggests a low likelihood of earnings manipulation.
- Takes ~9.9 years to repay net debt from free cash flow.
- At a valuation score of 29/100, NSC trades at a premium to its historical multiples (P/E 27.9).
See how NSC ranks on the Capex Tracker — top 50 capital spenders compared.
Recent Market Moves
See all NSC moves →| Date | Session | Price | Move | Z-Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2 | Regular | 317.38 | +2.29% | 3.10 |
| Oct 2 | After-hours | 317.44 | +2.31% | 3.13 |
| Sep 23 | After-hours | 320.00 | +1.91% | 2.41 |
| Sep 22 | Regular | 314.29 | +1.69% | 2.66 |
| Sep 22 | After-hours | 314.00 | +1.60% | 2.56 |
Frequently Asked Questions about NSC
What is the current Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC) stock price?
NSC is trading at $326.92 at the last market close, up 0.64% on the session. PreMarketPrice tracks NSC pre-market, intraday and after-hours prices.
Is NSC stock a buy right now?
PreMarketPrice's quantitative model rates Norfolk Southern Corp.'s financial health at 47/100. This is a data-driven snapshot of fundamentals, not investment advice.
Is NSC stock overvalued?
Norfolk Southern Corp. trades at a trailing P/E of 27.9 and our valuation score rates it 29/100 (higher = cheaper vs. its own history). See the Valuation History and Key Metrics sections for forward P/E, EV/EBITDA and PEG context.
When does Norfolk Southern Corp. report earnings?
No confirmed earnings date is currently scheduled for NSC. The Earnings section lists recent reports and updates as dates are announced.
What sector does Norfolk Southern Corp. operate in?
Norfolk Southern Corp. operates in the Industrials sector, within the Railroads, Line-Haul Operating industry. The Related Stocks section lists sector peers for comparison.
What does Norfolk Southern Corp. do?
Class I railroad Norfolk Southern operates in the Eastern United States.
About Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC) Stock
Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC) is a US-listed stock operating in the Industrials sector, specifically the Railroads, Line-Haul Operating industry. As of the latest update, Norfolk Southern Corp. is trading at $326.92, up 0.64% on the day with a market capitalization of $73.4 billion. The financial health score for NSC is 47/100, which indicates moderate financial strength based on profitability, leverage, liquidity, and growth metrics. This page provides real-time pre-market pricing, earnings calendar, financial health analysis, and valuation metrics for NSC stock.
NSC Stock Analysis & Key Metrics
On PreMarketPrice, you can track Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC) across multiple dimensions:
- Pre-market price & movement: Real-time NSC stock price with percentage change, updated continuously during pre-market and regular trading hours.
- Valuation & P/E history: Historical P/E, P/S, and P/B ratios for NSC with trend analysis and normalized valuation multiples.
- Financial statements: Revenue, net income, assets, liabilities, and equity for Norfolk Southern Corp. across multiple reporting periods.
- Financial health score: A composite score of 47/100 based on Altman Z-Score, Piotroski F-Score, profitability, and leverage metrics for NSC.
- Sector peers: Compare NSC against 6 other industrials stocks on key financial metrics.
Is NSC a Good Stock to Buy?
This page provides data-driven analysis to help you evaluate Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC) as an investment. The financial health score of 47/100 suggests moderate financial fundamentals. Valuation metrics show whether the stock is trading above or below its historical average.However, this is not financial advice — always do your own research before investing.
Data on this page is sourced from real-time market feeds, Polygon.io, and Finnhub.Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC) trades on NYSE/NASDAQ. Pre-market trading occurs 4:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET. Regular market hours are 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET.