Norfolk Southern (NSC) Q3 2026 earnings — TrendMatrix coverage
Reported
Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. How we score · Full disclosure · Editorial policy
Key numbers
- Adjusted EPS
- $3.62
- Estimate
- $3.47
- Surprise
- +4.3%
- Revenue (period 2026-09-30)
- $3.53B
- Score at report (before → after)
- 5.2 → 5.4/10
Revenue source: xbrl.
How the report landed
Norfolk Southern (NSC) beat the $3.47 estimate with adjusted EPS of $3.62 — a clear 4.3% upside surprise. TrendMatrix's engine moved from Buy (Wait) (5.2/10) to Sell at 5.4/10 after the report.
Where TrendMatrix's rating stands now
TrendMatrix currently rates NSC Sell at 5.3/10.
4 of the last 4 quarters beat the estimate; this quarter's +4.3% surprise compares with a +8.3% four-quarter average.
What supports the rating
- Strong earnings beat streak (4/4)
- Positive insider activity
What argues against it
- Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining
- Sector modifier (Industrials): -0.7
- Leverage penalty (D/E 1.1): -0.5
This section and the ones below it reflect TrendMatrix’s latest engine read — they update after the report date and are not frozen to it.
The levels TrendMatrix's engine tracks
- Current price
- $329.73
- Stop
- $318.81
The stock trades at 28.9× trailing but 23.6× forward earnings — consensus estimates already build in a substantial earnings recovery.
Model outputs from TrendMatrix’s engine as of 2026-10-23 — shown for context, not personalized investment advice.
NSC at TrendMatrix's latest read
Industrial quarters are order-book stories — backlog and book-to-bill color how the market reads the reported number.
- Industry
- Railroads
- Market cap
- $75.97B
- P/E (fwd)
- 23.6
- P/E (ttm)
- 28.9
- 52-week range
- $277.80–$358.60
- Off 52-week high
- 8.1%
- RSI (14)
- 65
- Volume vs avg
- 0.08×
- Score today
- 5.3/10