Norfolk Southern (NSC)
NYSEIndustrialsRailroadsSnapshot 2026-11-04
$344.14+0.94%
Close 2026-11-04 · 1-day change
NYSEIndustrialsRailroadsSnapshot 2026-11-04
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 freight demand growth must keep compounding to justify the price. Revenue grew 14% year over year in the latest quarter. The company also beat earnings estimates for that period. It trades at 27x earnings versus a 23x peer median. The market is pricing in more growth than we forecast. The primary pillar is under pressure, but the comparison is unverified. The thesis comparison is not yet verified. Peer multiples imply a price about 27% below where it trades. The thesis is on watch. This read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-11-04. 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 Nov 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 2026-11-04. 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 2026-11-04. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $344.14
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $344.14.
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.
