Zacks Research Issues Negative Forecast for CSX Earnings

CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of CSX in a note issued to investors on Thursday, February 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the transportation company will earn $0.39 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.42. The consensus estimate for CSX’s current full-year earnings is $1.83 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for CSX’s Q2 2026 earnings at $0.48 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.49 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.48 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.84 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.44 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.51 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.55 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.03 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.09 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on CSX. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $36.00 price objective (down from $37.00) on shares of CSX in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Robert W. Baird set a $40.00 target price on CSX and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of CSX in a report on Monday, October 20th. Wolfe Research decreased their price objective on CSX from $43.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on CSX from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $39.77.

CSX Stock Performance

Shares of CSX opened at $40.61 on Friday. CSX has a 12-month low of $26.22 and a 12-month high of $40.71. The stock has a market cap of $75.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.37, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a 50-day moving average of $36.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $35.45.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.41 by ($0.02). CSX had a net margin of 20.50% and a return on equity of 23.88%. The firm had revenue of $3.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.59 billion. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.42 EPS.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CSX

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CSX during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC grew its position in CSX by 437.3% during the third quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 720 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 586 shares during the period. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in CSX during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. increased its stake in CSX by 121.5% during the third quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 1,329 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 729 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of CSX in the 4th quarter worth about $63,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.57% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at CSX

In other CSX news, CAO Diana B. Sorfleet sold 66,667 shares of CSX stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.48, for a total value of $2,498,679.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 170,777 shares in the company, valued at $6,400,721.96. The trade was a 28.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Stephen Fortune sold 31,456 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.65, for a total transaction of $1,215,774.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 82,034 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,170,614.10. This represents a 27.72% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key CSX News

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Positive media/analyst momentum: coverage and bullish articles have helped push CSX into fresh 12‑month/52‑week highs, supporting buying interest. CSX Hits New 12‑Month High
• Positive Sentiment: Longer‑term EPS outlook remains above current consensus in Zacks’ model for FY2027–FY2028 (Zacks publishes FY2027/FY2028 estimates of $2.03 and $2.09), which underpins some investor confidence about multi‑year earnings power. (Zacks Research note)
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry update: Class I briefings mention CSX alongside peers (operational/contextual news for rail sector); useful for sector positioning but not an immediate earnings driver. Class I Briefs: CSX, BNSF
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst target trims are mixed: several shops slightly cut price targets (Evercore, JPMorgan) but maintained constructive ratings — a tempered bullish view that supports the stock while capping upside. Analyst coverage summary
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP Stephen Fortune sold 31,456 shares (~$1.22M), reducing his stake ~27.7% — insider sales can weigh on sentiment and prompt investor questions about timing/intent. Insider trade report
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks’ near‑term estimate cuts: Zacks lowered several quarterly and FY2026/FY2027 EPS forecasts (Q1–Q4 2026 and multiple quarters in 2026–2027 were trimmed), which could pressure short‑term expectations and earnings momentum. (Zacks Research notes)

CSX Company Profile

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.