CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Price Target Raised to $52.00 at Jefferies Financial Group

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) had its price target raised by Jefferies Financial Group from $50.00 to $52.00 in a research report released on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. They currently have a buy rating on the transportation company’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $46.00 target price (up from $44.00) on shares of CSX in a research report on Thursday. Evercore lifted their target price on shares of CSX from $41.00 to $44.00 in a research report on Thursday. Argus lifted their target price on shares of CSX from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $47.00 target price (up from $40.00) on shares of CSX in a research report on Thursday. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of CSX from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $45.26.

CSX Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CSX opened at $46.18 on Thursday. CSX has a twelve month low of $27.18 and a twelve month high of $46.55. The firm has a market cap of $85.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.33, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a 50 day moving average of $41.34 and a 200 day moving average of $38.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.04. CSX had a net margin of 21.55% and a return on equity of 24.86%. The company had revenue of $3.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.34 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that CSX will post 1.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CSX Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th were given a $0.14 dividend. This is a boost from CSX’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. CSX’s payout ratio is presently 36.36%.

Insider Activity

In other CSX news, CEO Stephen F. Angel acquired 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $40.27 per share, with a total value of $1,006,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 146,540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,901,165.80. The trade was a 20.57% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Stephen Fortune sold 31,456 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.65, for a total transaction of $1,215,774.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 82,034 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,170,614.10. The trade was a 27.72% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 188,123 shares of company stock valued at $7,454,854 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CSX

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. FNY Investment Advisers LLC grew its position in shares of CSX by 437.3% during the 3rd quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 720 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 586 shares during the period. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of CSX during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. grew its position in shares of CSX by 121.5% during the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 1,329 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 729 shares during the period. CrossGen Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of CSX during the 4th quarter valued at $54,000. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of CSX during the 4th quarter valued at $63,000. Institutional investors own 73.57% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting CSX

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat on EPS and showed strong margin expansion and cash generation; management lifted the 2026 revenue outlook to mid?single digits and flagged significant free?cash?flow upside — this underpins the rally. CSX Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Lag, 2026 View Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Operational improvements (efficiency initiatives, network expansion, record fuel efficiency) drove margin gains and lower operating expenses — a structural positive for future EPS and cash flow. CSX Q1 Deep Dive: Efficiency Initiatives and Network Expansion Drive Margin Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised price targets and ratings (Jefferies, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Raymond James, BofA, RBC, etc.), reflecting the quarter and improved guidance — analyst support helped lift investor demand. These Analysts Increase Their Forecasts On CSX After Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large bullish options activity (heavy call buying) and notable insider buying (CEO purchased shares) suggest short?term speculative and management conviction support. Quiver Quant: CSX jumps as Q1 profit beats expectations and outlook improves
• Neutral Sentiment: The top?line was roughly flat — revenue modestly missed estimates while volumes rose slightly; investors will watch whether revenue growth keeps pace with margin gains. CSX Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Lag, 2026 View Raised (Zacks)
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock traded near a 52?week high after results — positive momentum but raises the bar for future beats. CSX rallies to a new 52-week high after showing operational improvement in Q1
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley downgraded CSX, saying the turnaround progress is largely priced in and valuation looks stretched (they set a much lower target) — this creates near?term downside risk if future results disappoint. CSX Turnaround Largely Reflected in Stock Valuation, Morgan Stanley Says in Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentators caution about price risk after the run?up — elevated multiples mean the stock could be sensitive to any slowdown in volumes, pricing or margin recovery. CSX: Stellar Financial Report, But Price Risk Still Remains

About CSX

CSX Corporation is a leading North American transportation company that provides rail-based freight services and supply-chain solutions. Its operating subsidiary, CSX Transportation, moves a wide range of goods for customers across multiple industries, using a combination of long-haul rail service, intermodal operations and terminal and yard services. The company focuses on delivering efficient, reliable freight transportation between major production centers, consumption markets and port gateways.

CSX’s freight portfolio includes intermodal containers and trailers, bulk commodities, industrial products and specialized unit trains.