Norfolk Southern (NSC)
NYSEIndustrialsRailroadsSnapshot 2026-10-29
$342.64+0.13%
Close 2026-10-30 · 1-day change
NYSEIndustrialsRailroadsSnapshot 2026-10-29
Research Workspace
Put NSC beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Industrials is in expansion. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
Primary pillar under pressure — Profit margin near current levels (~25.9 P/E implies stable margins): Comparison needs review.
View ThesisRevenue is growing steadily — about 6% over the past year.
View GrowthMiddle-of-the-pack quality for its industry.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation, earnings delivery, the balance sheet.
View ManagementExpectations look high — the market is pricing in about 27% growth a year, above the roughly 8% analysts expect, leaving little room for error.
View ValuationModerate volatility — typically moves about 1% a day.
View RiskNSC’s case rests on revenue growth and executing the Union Pacific merger and integration. Revenue growth accelerated from 11% to 14%, with third-quarter 2026 earnings beating consensus. NSC trades at 26× P/E versus a 23× peer median, and the market expects more growth than forecast. A 21% next-quarter miss probability creates execution risk. The primary profit-margin pillar remains under pressure, though its comparison needs review. Peer multiples imply a price about 27% below where it trades (it looks expensive on this basis). The thesis is on watch; this read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-10-30. NSC is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 21 analysts currently covering NSC (as of Oct 2026).
Based on 7 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for NSC in the last 4 months.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSC Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 13 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-10-30. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Industrials (broad) — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put NSC next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Grow revenue and capture demand for rail service
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-10-30. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $342.64
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $342.64.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Around the middle on quality vs scored peers
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Schneider’s planned primary-provider role signals future intermodal demand and potential revenue for Norfolk Southern.
Advances: Achieve revenue growth
Earnings beat and strong freight demand support revenue growth, though the headline alone offers limited detail.
Advances: Maintain disciplined cost control and operating ratio improvement
Earnings and revenue beat estimates, supporting performance, though details on productivity and operating ratio are absent.
Advances: Maintain disciplined cost control and operating ratio improvement
EPS and revenue exceeded estimates, a positive operating signal without evidence of a major thesis change.
Advances: Execute merger and integration with Union Pacific
Merger discussions enhance growth potential and strategic alignment.
Advances: Execute merger and integration with Union Pacific
Merger discussions support growth objectives and strategic alignment.
Threatens: Achieve revenue growth
Fuel costs are expected to pressure quarterly results despite freight-share gains.
Threatens: Achieve revenue growth
Reuters reports fuel-price pressure on quarterly performance, offset partly by freight-share gains.
