Here's Why Investors Should Give Norfolk Southern Stock a Miss Now

Norfolk Southern NSC is facing significant challenges from economic uncertainties and weak liquidity. The tariff-related woes are also hurting the company’s prospects, making it an unattractive choice for investors’ portfolios.

Let’s delve deeper.

NSC: Key Risks to Watch

Southward Earnings Estimate Revision: The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has moved 0.3% south in the past 60 days. For the next year, the consensus mark for earnings has been revised 0.6% downward in the same time frame. The unfavorable estimate revisions indicate brokers’ lack of confidence in the stock.

Dim Price Performance:  The company’s price trend reveals that its shares have gained 7.9% quarter to date compared with the Transportation - Airlineindustry’s 8.7% growth.

Weak Zacks Rank: Norfolk Southern currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Headwinds: Norfolk Southern is struggling to maintain stable liquidity, as reflected in its fluctuating and generally weak current ratio (a measure of liquidity) over recent years. After dipping from 0.86 in 2021 to a low of 0.76 in 2022, the company saw a temporary improvement in 2023 with a ratio of 1.24. However, liquidity weakened again, falling to 0.90 in 2024 and declining further to 0.78 in Q1 2025. A current ratio consistently below 1.0 raises concerns about Norfolk Southern’s ability to cover short-term obligations, indicating potential pressure on its near-term financial flexibility.

Norfolk Southern is facing mounting challenges amid persistent economic headwinds. Continued uncertainty, coupled with high inflation, is putting pressure on the company’s financial stability by increasing operating costs and squeezing margins.

Moreover, the ongoing tariff-related issues are expected to weigh on performance throughout the year, potentially disrupting trade flows and impacting freight demand. These combined factors could hinder Norfolk Southern’s operational efficiency in the near term.

Stocks to Consider

Investors interested in the Transportation sector may consider SkyWest SKYW and Air Lease AL.

SKYW currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

SKYW has an expected earnings growth rate of 19.4% for the current year. The company has an impressive earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 17.1%. Shares of SKYW have risen 21.1% year to date.

AL currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2.

AL has an expected earnings growth rate of 9.6% for the current year. The company has a mixed earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, delivering an average beat of 5.2%. Shares of AL have rallied 18.5% year to date.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research