CSX CORPORATION vs NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORP, two Railroads stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where CSX and NSC diverge most: on dividend yield, CSX reads 1.0% and NSC reads 1.6%; on implied growth (priced in), CSX reads +11.1% and NSC reads +16.8%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's CSX price has a different growth bar priced in than NSC (+11.1% implied for CSX vs +16.8% for NSC); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. What CSX's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). What NSC's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | CSX | NSC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $50.38 | $335.65 |
| Market cap | $93.7B | $75.5B |
| Sector | Railroads | Railroads |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +11.1% | +16.8% |
| P/E | 29.1 | 28.6 |
| P/B | 6.65 | 4.65 |
| P/S | 6.45 | 6.02 |
| EV/EBITDA | 17.0 | 16.6 |
| Revenue growth | +2.5% | +2.9% |
| Operating margin | 38.3% | 32.4% |
| Net margin | 22.2% | 21.0% |
| Return on equity | 22.9% | 16.2% |
| Return on assets | 7.2% | 5.8% |
| Return on invested capital | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| FCF yield | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| Dividend yield | 1.0% | 1.6% |
| Debt / equity | 1.34 | 0.98 |
| Current ratio | 0.82 | 0.83 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 2.61 | 2.35 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 7 / 9 |
Each week boothcheck ranks the stocks whose prices are betting on the most. Read the most stretched bets archive →
boothcheck is also on Android. Get the app on Google Play →
The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.