For the quarter ended December 2025, Norfolk Southern (NSC) reported revenue of $2.97 billion, down 1.7% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $3.22, compared to $3.04 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.87% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.78, the EPS surprise was +15.92%.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how Norfolk Southern performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
- Railway Operating Ratio: 68.5% compared to the 66.8% average estimate based on four analysts.
- Revenue ton miles: 45.1 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of 44.68 billion.
- Carloads (Units) - Volume - Merchandise: 565.3 thousand versus the three-analyst average estimate of 568.49 thousand.
- Carloads (Units) - Volume - Intermodal: 989.1 thousand compared to the 1 million average estimate based on three analysts.
- Revenue per Carload (Unit) - Total: $1,723.00 compared to the $1,742.10 average estimate based on three analysts.
- Railway operating revenues- Merchandise- Agriculture, forest and consumer products: $627 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $625.01 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -2.9%.
- Railway operating revenues- Coal: $347 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $371.6 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -11%.
- Railway operating revenues- Merchandise- Chemicals: $556 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $544.79 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +6.7%.
- Railway operating revenues- Intermodal: $747 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $756.45 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -5.7%.
- Railway operating revenues- Merchandise- Automotive: $293 million versus $308.7 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +3.5% change.
- Railway operating revenues- Merchandise: $1.88 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $1.91 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +2.1%.
- Railway operating revenues- Merchandise- Metals and construction: $404 million compared to the $427.64 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +3.1% year over year.
View all Key Company Metrics for Norfolk Southern here>>>
Shares of Norfolk Southern have returned -1.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.8% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.
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Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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