Raymond James Financial Raises CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Price Target to $49.00

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) had its price target lifted by analysts at Raymond James Financial from $45.00 to $49.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Raymond James Financial’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 7.18% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on CSX from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $47.00 target price on shares of CSX in a report on Thursday. Vertical Research downgraded shares of CSX from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $44.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Thursday. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on CSX from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of CSX from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CSX has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $45.02.

CSX Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CSX traded up $2.54 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $45.72. 4,206,503 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 13,410,572. The company’s 50 day moving average is $41.23 and its 200 day moving average is $38.02. CSX has a one year low of $27.18 and a one year high of $45.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $85.07 billion, a PE ratio of 29.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.25.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $3.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.50 billion. CSX had a net margin of 20.50% and a return on equity of 23.88%. CSX’s quarterly revenue was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.34 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that CSX will post 1.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Diana B. Sorfleet sold 90,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.56, for a total transaction of $3,740,400.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 165,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,882,876.28. This trade represents a 35.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Stephen F. Angel purchased 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $40.27 per share, for a total transaction of $1,006,750.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 146,540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,901,165.80. This represents a 20.57% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 188,123 shares of company stock worth $7,454,854. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CSX

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. FNY Investment Advisers LLC lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 586 shares during the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in CSX during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. raised its stake in CSX by 121.5% in the third quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 1,329 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 729 shares during the last quarter. CrossGen Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in CSX in the fourth quarter valued at about $54,000. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in CSX in the fourth quarter valued at about $63,000. 73.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting CSX

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat on the bottom line — GAAP EPS $0.43 vs. $0.39 expected; operating income and net income rose ~20–25% year over year, driven by cost cuts and efficiency gains. GlobeNewswire: Q1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management signaled stronger cash generation and raised the outlook — CSX is forecasting material free?cash?flow growth (management cited >60% FCF growth for 2026) and noted more shippers are using rail to avoid rising fuel costs. Seeking Alpha: FCF Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets and ratings after the print — Bank of America to $49 (buy), BMO to $45 (market perform), TD Cowen to $45 (buy), providing near-term support/upside to the stock. Benzinga: Analyst Actions TickerReport: TD Cowen
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary is mixed — some analysts highlight a multi?year earnings expansion opportunity while others warn of near?term price risk despite strong margins. Seeking Alpha: Mixed Analysis Seeking Alpha: Longer-Term Thesis
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed estimates — Q1 revenue $3.48B vs. ~$3.50B expected, which tempers the EPS beat and raises questions about top?line momentum. Yahoo Finance: Q1 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Insider activity is mixed — CEO purchased shares but several other executives sold material stakes recently, which can be perceived as a cautionary signal by some investors. QuiverQuant: Insider Trades
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation/price risk — coverage notes the stock is trading near 52?week highs, which increases vulnerability to profit?taking and makes any revenue softness more consequential. Investing.com: Price Risk

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.