Citigroup Issues Positive Forecast for Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) Stock Price

Posted by George Bondi on Jul 24th, 2026

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC – Get Free Report) had its target price boosted by Citigroup from $351.00 to $376.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the railroad operator’s stock. Citigroup’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 6.70% from the stock’s previous close.

NSC has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Stephens raised Norfolk Southern to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $308.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $320.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings cut Norfolk Southern from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $316.00 to $338.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seventeen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $344.35.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:NSC traded up $3.83 during trading on Friday, reaching $352.38. 542,875 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,225,710. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $316.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $305.84. Norfolk Southern has a 52-week low of $268.23 and a 52-week high of $358.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market cap of $79.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.05 and a beta of 1.27.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The railroad operator reported $3.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.32 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 21.91% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.29 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Norfolk Southern will post 12.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Norfolk Southern

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Norfolk Southern in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. BNP Paribas purchased a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Norfolk Southern by 239.3% during the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 95 shares of the railroad operator’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the first quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Bayban bought a new position in Norfolk Southern in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Norfolk Southern

Here are the key news stories impacting Norfolk Southern this week:

Positive Sentiment: Norfolk Southern reported Q2 results above expectations, with EPS of $3.52 topping estimates and revenue reaching a record level, helped by stronger freight demand, intermodal growth, and higher fuel surcharges. Reuters article
Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on Norfolk Southern to $385 from $365 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling further upside potential from current levels. Benzinga coverage
Positive Sentiment: Several post-earnings summaries highlighted record revenue and improved demand trends, reinforcing investor confidence in the railroad’s operating momentum. WSJ article
Neutral Sentiment: Some coverage noted that profitability was pressured by higher fuel costs and margin compression, offsetting part of the benefit from stronger revenue growth. Seeking Alpha article
Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also watching the ongoing Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger discussion, including Canadian National’s decision to drop opposition in exchange for expanded access, though this is not an immediate earnings driver. WSJ merger article

About Norfolk Southern

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Norfolk Southern Corporation is a major U.S. freight railroad company that provides rail transportation and related logistics services. As a Class I carrier, the company operates an extensive network across the eastern United States and offers scheduled freight service for a broad range of industries. Its core operations include long-haul and regional rail freight transportation, intermodal services that move containers and trailers between rail and other modes, and terminal and switching services that support efficient rail shipments for industrial and port customers.

The company transports a variety of commodities, serving sectors such as coal and energy, automotive and automotive parts, chemicals, agriculture, metals and construction materials, and consumer goods.