CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Stock Jumps 6.1% on Earnings Beat

CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX) shares were up 6.1% on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $51.51 and last traded at $51.3290. Approximately 2,684,064 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 78% from the average daily volume of 12,309,460 shares. The stock had previously closed at $48.40.

The transportation company reported $0.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $0.04. CSX had a return on equity of 24.98% and a net margin of 22.21%. The business had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.44 earnings per share. CSX’s revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year.

CSX Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 30th will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 30th. CSX’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.37%.

Key Headlines Impacting CSX

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CSX reported third-quarter revenue of $4.02 billion, up 12% year over year and above the roughly $3.96 billion consensus estimate. Earnings per share rose to $0.57 from $0.44, beating estimates near $0.52-$0.53. CSX Corp. Announces Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Operating income increased 44% to $1.57 billion, while the operating margin expanded to 39.1%. Net earnings reached $1.05 billion, and adjusted year-over-year comparisons still showed solid growth in operating income, net earnings and EPS. CSX Q3 Revenue Hits Record $4.02 Billion
• Positive Sentiment: Total freight volume rose 5%, with intermodal volume up 7% to a record level. CSX also reduced nonfuel costs by 3%, indicating operating leverage and improving efficiency. CSX: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Raymond James lowered its CSX price target from $56 to $53 while maintaining a more favorable valuation outlook than the current Morgan Stanley target.
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley analyst Ravi Shanker maintained a Sell rating and a $32 price target, citing CSX’s valuation and long-term risks. That target is well below the stock’s recent trading range and could weigh on investor sentiment. CSX Sell Rating Maintained
• Negative Sentiment: CSX eliminated more than 100 management positions, potentially improving costs but also signaling restructuring and pressure to sustain efficiency gains. Reported recent insider activity was entirely selling, another modest sentiment headwind.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on CSX shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of CSX in a research note on Thursday. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $60.00 price objective (up from $55.00) on shares of CSX in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Truist Financial set a $46.00 price objective on shares of CSX in a report on Friday, July 10th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $54.00 target price on shares of CSX in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Argus set a $56.00 target price on shares of CSX in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $51.57.

Insider Buying and Selling at CSX

In related news, SVP Michael S. Burns sold 13,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.68, for a total transaction of $684,840.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 59,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,141,993.24. This represents a 17.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Angela C. Williams sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.29, for a total value of $1,598,700.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 10,437 shares in the company, valued at $556,187.73. This trade represents a 74.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CSX. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of CSX during the second quarter valued at about $7,655,277,000. XXEC Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of CSX in the second quarter worth about $765,595,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of CSX in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,598,962,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of CSX in the second quarter valued at approximately $950,325,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of CSX in the second quarter valued at approximately $747,001,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.57% of the company’s stock.

CSX Trading Up 6.5%

The firm’s 50 day moving average is $48.66 and its 200 day moving average is $47.51. The company has a market cap of $95.53 billion, a PE ratio of 29.77, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.72.

CSX Company Profile

CSX Corporation is a transportation company whose primary business is freight railroading through its CSX Transportation subsidiary. The company operates an extensive rail network across the eastern United States, serving major industrial centers, population hubs, ports and distribution markets.

CSX transports a broad range of products, including chemicals, agricultural and food products, forest products, minerals, metals, automotive goods and other manufactured merchandise. Its services also include intermodal transportation, which combines rail service with trucks and containers, as well as the movement of coal and other bulk commodities.

The company traces its roots to the formation of CSX Corporation in 1980 through the merger of Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries.