Reading the tape
NASDAQ: CSX
CSX Corporation
Industrials · Railroads
Market Cap
$83.79B
52w High
$46.55
52w Low
$28.05
P/E
27.24
Volume
6.24M
Outstanding Shares
1.86B
Price vs Fundamentals
Why The Stock Is Moving
Mixed / unclearLow confidence
1Y Price: 60.41%Revenue (TTM): -0.92%FCF (TTM): 53.27%P/FCF: 40th pct
What changed
The stock rose 60.41% over the last year. Revenue declined 0.92% over the trailing twelve months. Operating margin moved from 35.29% to 33.45%. Free cash flow grew 53.27% over the trailing twelve months.
What the market seems to be pricing
The stock has moved higher against modestly improving underlying metrics. The operating data does not yet tell a clear story — the move may reflect sentiment, sector rotation, or macro factors rather than company-specific earnings power.
What would invalidate this read
Operating margin currently stands at 33.45%. A decisive move in revenue — currently down 0.92% — would be the clearest signal to resolve the ambiguity.
Company profile
CSX Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides rail-based freight transportation services.
CEOStephen F. Angel
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
Employees23,400
IPO dateNov 3, 1980
Valuation
Forward P/E—
EV/EBITDA14.70
Enterprise value$86.25B
Stock splits
Jun 29, 2021↑ Forward
Every 1 shares became 3
Jun 16, 2011↑ Forward
Every 1 shares became 3
Aug 16, 2006↑ Forward
Every 1 shares became 2
Dec 22, 1995↑ Forward
Every 1 shares became 2
Oct 26, 1983↑ Forward
Every 1 shares became 3
Profitability & growth
Revenue growth1.72%
Gross margin37.54%▼12.21%vs FY2024
Operating margin33.45%▼13.07%vs FY2024
ROE21.95%▼20.91%vs FY2024
Analyst consensus
RatingBuy
Target price$43.08▼4.47%
26
Buy
18
Hold
2
Sell
Analyst ratings tend to be lagging indicators. Use as one signal among many.
Earnings
Full quarter-by-quarter history of actuals vs estimates. Switch into compare mode to inspect one metric year-over-year.
Next report
Jul 22, 2026
Q3 FY26 · EPS est $0.48 · Revenue est $3.75B
View
Dividends
$0.53/shareQuarterlyDividend Achiever · 23yrSafeCSX pays a dividend with a 1.18% dividend yield, 23 consecutive years of growth, growing at 8.45% annually, covered 1.8× by free cash flow.
Dividend Yield
1.18%
Annual Div / Share
$0.53
5yr CAGR
+8.45%
Doubles every ~8.5yr
Payout Ratio
32.36%
Safe
Dividend Growth Rate
3yr CAGR
+9.14%
5yr CAGR
+8.45%
10yr CAGR
+8.34%
Dividend Safety
9/10Safe
Dividend History
Annual dividends paid per share
YearAnnual DivYoY
2025$0.52+8.3%
2024$0.48+9.1%
2023$0.44+10.0%
2022$0.40+7.1%
2021$0.37+7.7%
2020$0.35+8.3%
2019$0.32+9.1%
Income Projection
Invest
$
Growth rate:
Reinvest dividends
Today
$12/yr
$1/mo
In 5 yrs
$18/yr+50%
$1/mo
In 10 yrs
$26/yr+125%
$2/mo
| Today | In 5 yrs | In 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|
$12/yr $1/mo | $18/yr+50% $1/mo | $26/yr+125% $2/mo |
Yield-on-cost grows from 1.18% → 2.64% over 10yr
Analysis
Dividend Strengths
Dividend Achiever
CSX has raised its dividend for 23 consecutive years — qualifying as a Dividend Achiever, demonstrating long-term commitment to shareholder income.
Well-covered by free cash flow
The dividend is covered 1.8× by free cash flow, indicating the company generates sufficient cash to sustain and potentially grow the payout without straining its finances.
Strong dividend growth rate
The 5-year CAGR of 8.45% meaningfully outpaces inflation, compounding real income growth for long-term holders.
Risks to Watch
No strong risk signal stands out from the latest period pair.