NSCIndustrials · RailroadsThe 21 Wall Street analysts covering Norfolk Southern Corp. hold a median 12-month price target of $358 — +13.0% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 64 of 100 as at 6 Oct 2026 — in the upper half.
Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Norfolk Southern Corp. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.
Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested
Issuance (89): The share count has been shrinking and the company is not leaning on new borrowing.
Growth (32): Sales and profits are flat, shrinking, or growing more slowly than they were.
Size (4): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.
Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.
The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on NSC, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.
Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Data provided by Twelve Data
The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +13.0% from it.
Of the 20 most recent actions, 9 moved their price target up and 1 moved it down.
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct 2026 | Susquehanna | Maintains | Neutral | $386 → $350 |
| 27 July 2026 | Baird | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 27 July 2026 | Baird | Maintains | Neutral | $360 → $377 |
| 27 July 2026 | BMO Capital | Maintains | Market Perform | — |
| 27 July 2026 | BMO Capital | Maintains | Market Perform | $310 → $355 |
| 24 July 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Overweight | $360 → $400 |
| 24 July 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Overweight | — |
| 24 July 2026 | Citigroup | Maintains | Neutral | $351 → $376 |
| 24 July 2026 | Citigroup | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 24 July 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | $316 → $338 |
| 24 July 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 24 July 2026 | RBC Capital | Maintains | Sector Perform | $320 → $360 |
| 24 July 2026 | RBC Capital | Maintains | Sector Perform | — |
| 24 July 2026 | TD Cowen | Maintains | Buy | — |
| 24 July 2026 | TD Cowen | Maintains | Buy | $337 → $376 |
| 24 July 2026 | Wells Fargo | Maintains | Overweight | — |
| 24 July 2026 | Wells Fargo | Maintains | Overweight | $365 → $385 |
| 14 July 2026 | Susquehanna | Maintains | Neutral | $337 → $360 |
| 14 July 2026 | Susquehanna | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 10 July 2026 | Baird | Maintains | Neutral | — |
Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.
Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. NSC appears on the weeks it earns a place.
Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.
Over the twelve months to 6 Oct 2026, Norfolk Southern Corp. returned +7.4% against +17.3% for the S&P 500, dividends included.
Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.
Data provided by Twelve Data
Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.
A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.
Cheaper than 28% of US stocks
Cheaper than 22% of US stocks
Cheaper than 23% of US stocks
Cheaper than 22% of US stocks
Higher than 56% of US stocks
Higher than 31% of US stocks
Higher than 46% of US stocks
Higher than 90% of US stocks
Higher than 83% of US stocks
Higher than 77% of US stocks
Higher than 81% of US stocks
Higher than 76% of US dividend payers
Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.
The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.
Norfolk Southern Corp. has a market value of $71.3B and an enterprise value of $87.4B.
Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $12.5B. The latest quarter grew 11.4% year on year.
Net income over the same four quarters: $2.6B, a 21.0% net margin.
Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $11.72.
Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $1.6B, after $1.8B of capital spending.
Norfolk Southern Corp. spent $87.0M on share buybacks and $1.2B on dividends in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.
Trailing P/E: 27.1×; forward P/E: 22.2× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.
Forward dividend yield: 1.70%, paying out 46% of earnings.
Norfolk Southern Corp. employs 19,300 people — $650K of revenue per employee.
Data provided by Twelve Data
The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.
| Company | Market cap | TKN rank |
|---|---|---|
| NSCNorfolk Southern Corp. | $71.3B | 64 |
| CNICanadian National Railway Co. | $72.4B | 78 |
| CPCanadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. | $76.4B | 48 |
| CSXCSX Corp. | $88.3B | 77 |
| WABWestinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp. | $49.4B | 67 |
| UNPUnion Pacific Corp. | $164.3B | 83 |
| NOCNorthrop Grumman Corp.* | $68.9B | 82 |
* Nearest Industrials names by size — few railroads companies of this scale trade in the US universe.
Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.
The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Norfolk Southern Corp. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →
Union Pacific is seeking to acquire Norfolk Southern in an $85 billion deal that would create a transcontinental railroad. Labor unions and farm groups are pushing back against the proposed merger.
Why it matters — The proposed acquisition and opposition from labor and farm groups are relevant to NSC watchers tracking the company’s potential merger.
Norfolk Southern Corporation announced it will release its third quarter 2026 financial results on Thursday, October 22, 2026, during a live conference call and internet webcast at 10:00 a.m. ET. The announcement was made on October 2, 2026.
Why it matters — This gives NSC watchers the scheduled date and access details for the company's upcoming third quarter earnings report.
A 24/7 Wall Street article highlights freight railroads, including Norfolk Southern, for their pricing power and growing dividends for income investors. It notes that while railroad infrastructure is difficult to replicate, dividends depend on variables that many income investors may overlook.
Why it matters — Norfolk Southern watchers would care because the article underscores the company's pricing power and dividend growth potential while cautioning that dividend sustainability depends on factors investors may overlook.
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern reported that the Surface Transportation Board unanimously denied merger opponents' requests to dismiss their revised merger application for a proposed transcontinental railroad. The companies said this marks a milestone in the combination, which would eliminate interchanges between railroads.
Why it matters — The STB decision keeps the proposed union between Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific moving forward, advancing a major strategic development that Norfolk Southern shareholders are closely watching.
Norfolk Southern said higher fuel prices are expected to pressure its operating ratio in the second half of the year, reversing the tailwind management had anticipated two months earlier. The railroad also sees opportunities to gain freight share from trucking and plans to keep investing in service and capacity.
Why it matters — NSC watchers would care because the fuel-cost headwind directly affects the company's near-term efficiency metric, while potential freight share gains from trucking could bolster volumes and revenue growth.
The 21 Wall Street analysts covering Norfolk Southern Corp. have a median 12-month price target of $358, with estimates ranging from $297 to $414. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Of the 21 analysts covering Norfolk Southern Corp., 5 rate it a Buy, 16 a Hold and 0 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Norfolk Southern Corp. 64 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 6 Oct 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.
As at 6 Oct 2026, Norfolk Southern Corp. ranks 64 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Issuance (89 of 100).
No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 21 analysts implies +13.0% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Norfolk Southern Corp. 64 out of 100 as at 6 Oct 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.
No analyst covering Norfolk Southern Corp. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for NSC are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $297 to $414 over the next 12 months.
Norfolk Southern Corp. returned +7.4% over the 12 months to 6 Oct 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.
Norfolk Southern Corp. is a transportation company and major freight railroad operator that moves raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods across the eastern United States.
The most recent item we track (Fox Business, 6 Oct 2026): "Union Pacific CEO makes case for $85B Norfolk Southern merger amid pushback". Union Pacific is seeking to acquire Norfolk Southern in an $85 billion deal that would create a transcontinental railroad. Labor unions and farm groups are pushing back against the proposed merger.
Norfolk Southern Corp. is a transportation company and major freight railroad operator that moves raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods across the eastern United States. Norfolk Southern Corp. provides rail service for merchandise, intermodal containers, and coal, linking industrial plants, distribution centers, warehouses, and port gateways to support supply chains in agriculture, automotive, chemicals, metals, construction, and consumer goods. Its network also connects to other rail carriers, extending service to other parts of the country and supporting domestic and international freight flows. The company’s operations are centered on efficient rail transportation, terminal connectivity, and logistics services that help businesses move large volumes of freight across regional and national markets.
CEO Mr. Mark R. George · 19,300 employees · United States · https://www.norfolksouthern.com
