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NSC Stock Forecast: Norfolk Southern Corp. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 14 Aug 2026
$334
−1.02% on the day

The 21 Wall Street analysts covering Norfolk Southern Corp. hold a median 12-month price target of $370 — +10.5% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 77 of 100 as at 15 Aug 2026 — inside the top quartile. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.

Market cap
$75.1B
Ticker Nerd rank
77 / 100
Median analyst target
$370
Analysts covering
21
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
+0.0%
1M
+2.7%
YTD
+17.3%
1Y
+20.5%
From 52W high
−4.3%
From 52W low
+24.9%
$268
$349
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

NSC stock analysis: one number for the whole business

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.

Where the model ranks itAs at 15 Aug 2026
77 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Volatility
97
Revisions
95
Issuance
89
Momentum
76
Quality
69
Accruals
51
Value
49
Growth
32
Size
4

Volatility (97): The share price has been relatively steady.

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.

Wall Street

NSC stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on NSC, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$300$350$400Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26NSCHigh $414Median $370Low $297

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

What Wall Street says21 analysts
5 Buy16 Hold0 Sell
Low $297Median $370High $414

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +10.5% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first

Of the 20 most recent actions, 12 moved their price target up and 1 moved it down.

DateFirmActionRatingTarget
27 July 2026BairdMaintainsNeutral$360 → $377
27 July 2026BMO CapitalMaintainsMarket Perform$310 → $355
24 July 2026BarclaysMaintainsOverweight$360 → $400
24 July 2026CitigroupMaintainsNeutral$351 → $376
24 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral$316 → $338
24 July 2026RBC CapitalMaintainsSector Perform$320 → $360
24 July 2026TD CowenMaintainsBuy$337 → $376
24 July 2026Wells FargoMaintainsOverweight$365 → $385
14 July 2026SusquehannaMaintainsNeutral—
14 July 2026SusquehannaMaintainsNeutral$337 → $360
10 July 2026BairdMaintainsNeutral$330 → $360
10 July 2026BairdMaintainsNeutral—
10 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral$331 → $316
10 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral—
9 July 2026CitigroupMaintainsNeutral$335 → $351
9 July 2026CitigroupMaintainsNeutral—
8 July 2026Wells FargoMaintainsOverweight$350 → $365
8 July 2026Wells FargoMaintainsOverweight—
28 Apr 2026BairdMaintainsNeutral—
27 Apr 2026BarclaysMaintainsOverweight—

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

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.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Estimates

NSC analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
+7.3%
Analysts raising
15
Analysts cutting
0
Fundamentals

Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
28.6×

Cheaper than 28% of US stocks

Price / sales
6.0×

Cheaper than 22% of US stocks

Price / book
4.6×

Cheaper than 24% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
16.1×

Cheaper than 22% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
11.4%

Higher than 56% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
−4.4%

Higher than 30% of US stocks

Gross margin
37.4%

Higher than 47% of US stocks

Operating margin
35.3%

Higher than 90% of US stocks

Net margin
21.0%

Higher than 83% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
17.0%

Higher than 78% of US stocks

Return on assets
6.0%

Higher than 81% of US stocks

Dividend yield
1.6%

Higher than 39% of US dividend payers

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Peers

NSC vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelRailroads
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
NSCNorfolk Southern Corp.$75.1B
77
CNICanadian National Railway Co.$77.5B
85
CPCanadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd.$83.6B
55
CSXCSX Corp.$93.3B
87
WABWestinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp.$50.7B
63
UNPUnion Pacific Corp.$174.5B
89
HONHoneywell International, Inc.*$74.1B
64

* 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 →

News

Latest NSC news & analysis

3 Railroad Stocks to Buy From the Prospering Industry

Zacks Investment Research · 10 Aug 2026positive

Zacks Investment Research reported on the Transportation-Railroad industry, which faces headwinds including high fuel costs, tariff-related tensions, and supply-chain disruptions. In this context, the article names Norfolk Southern (NSC) among three railroad stocks likely to stand out, alongside UNP and CSX.

Why it matters — A NSC watcher would care because the item singles out Norfolk Southern as one of the railroad companies expected to stand out despite a challenging industry environment.

Wall Street Says Hold but Hedge Funds Are Circling NSC's $85 Billion Merger

24/7 Wall Street · 10 Aug 2026neutral

Norfolk Southern (NSC) is the focus of an $85 billion merger, with Wall Street analysts recommending a Hold while hedge funds are circling the deal. The report notes that smart money is split on the company and that this divergence matters.

Why it matters — NSC watchers would care because the divergence between analyst ratings and hedge fund positioning around an $85 billion merger signals uncertainty over the company's direction.

Is Norfolk Southern Stock Attractive After Its Strong Earnings Beat?

Zacks Investment Research · 30 July 2026positive

Norfolk Southern reported a strong earnings beat and record railway revenues, with analysts raising estimates for the company's near-term outlook. The report notes that a premium valuation remains a key trade-off for investors.

Why it matters — NSC watchers would care because the earnings beat and rising estimates suggest improving operational performance, while the premium valuation highlights a potential risk to consider.

Are You Looking for a Top Momentum Pick? Why Norfolk Southern (NSC) is a Great Choice

Zacks Investment Research · 30 July 2026positive

Zacks Investment Research has highlighted Norfolk Southern (NSC) as a potential top momentum stock pick for investors seeking momentum-driven opportunities.

Why it matters — The article suggests NSC may be gaining positive attention from momentum-focused analysts, which could influence market perception of the stock.

What Makes Norfolk Southern (NSC) a New Buy Stock

Zacks Investment Research · 29 July 2026positive

Norfolk Southern (NSC) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reflecting growing optimism about its earnings prospects.

Why it matters — The upgrade signals that analysts see improving earnings potential for Norfolk Southern, which could draw investor attention to the stock.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about NSC stock

What is the NSC stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 21 Wall Street analysts covering Norfolk Southern Corp. have a median 12-month price target of $370, with estimates ranging from $297 to $414. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is NSC stock a buy right now?

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. 77 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 15 Aug 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank NSC?

As at 15 Aug 2026, Norfolk Southern Corp. ranks 77 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 Volatility (97 of 100).

Will NSC stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 21 analysts implies +10.5% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Norfolk Southern Corp. 77 out of 100 as at 15 Aug 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the NSC stock forecast for 2030?

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.

How has NSC stock performed over the past year?

Norfolk Southern Corp. returned +20.5% over the 12 months to 14 Aug 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does Norfolk Southern Corp. do?

Norfolk Southern Corporation is a railroad and transportation company that provides freight rail services across the Eastern United States. Norfolk Southern Corporation moves a broad mix of commodities and products, including intermodal shipments, automotive goods, agricultural products, metals, chemicals, forest products, coal, and industrial materials.

What is the latest news on NSC?

The most recent item we track (Zacks Investment Research, 10 Aug 2026): "3 Railroad Stocks to Buy From the Prospering Industry". Zacks Investment Research reported on the Transportation-Railroad industry, which faces headwinds including high fuel costs, tariff-related tensions, and supply-chain disruptions. In this context, the article names Norfolk Southern (NSC) among three railroad stocks likely to stand out, alongside UNP and CSX.

Company

About Norfolk Southern Corp.

Norfolk Southern Corporation is a railroad and transportation company that provides freight rail services across the Eastern United States. Norfolk Southern Corporation moves a broad mix of commodities and products, including intermodal shipments, automotive goods, agricultural products, metals, chemicals, forest products, coal, and industrial materials. The company also supports logistics through rail-linked services such as access to terminals, property management, and selected transportation-related infrastructure activities. Its network connects major markets, ports, and manufacturing centers, making it an important carrier for supply chains that depend on efficient long-haul freight movement. Norfolk Southern Corporation serves industries that require large-scale, time-sensitive, and high-capacity transport solutions, and it plays a central role in the movement of raw materials, intermediate goods, and finished products throughout its operating region.

CEO Mr. Mark R. George · 19,300 employees · United States · https://www.norfolksouthern.com