Benchmark Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Stock

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) had its target price raised by analysts at Benchmark from $46.00 to $48.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Benchmark’s target price indicates a potential upside of 5.70% from the stock’s current price.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on shares of CSX from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Argus raised their price target on shares of CSX from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of CSX from $42.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of CSX from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of CSX from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, CSX presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $45.26.

CSX Stock Down 1.7%

CSX stock opened at $45.41 on Thursday. CSX has a 1-year low of $27.51 and a 1-year high of $46.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.25. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $41.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.14. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.04. CSX had a net margin of 21.55% and a return on equity of 24.47%. The firm had revenue of $3.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.50 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.34 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that CSX will post 1.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other CSX news, CAO Diana B. Sorfleet sold 90,000 shares of CSX stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.56, for a total value of $3,740,400.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 165,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,882,876.28. The trade was a 35.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Stephen F. Angel acquired 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $40.27 per share, for a total transaction of $1,006,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 146,540 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,901,165.80. This trade represents a 20.57% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 188,123 shares of company stock valued at $7,454,854. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CSX

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CSX. FNY Investment Advisers LLC raised its position in CSX by 437.3% in the third quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 720 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 586 shares during the period. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in CSX in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. raised its position in CSX by 121.5% in 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 period. CrossGen Wealth LLC bought a new stake in CSX in the fourth quarter worth about $54,000. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in CSX in the fourth quarter worth about $63,000. Institutional investors own 73.57% of the company’s stock.

More CSX News

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and upgraded outlook — CSX reported $0.43 GAAP EPS (above estimates), improved operating income and raised its 2026 revenue/growth guidance to mid‑single digits; management flagged higher volumes, lower operating costs and stronger free cash flow expectations, which supports upside for earnings and cash returns. CSX Q1 2026 Earnings Call Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raise targets and ratings — Multiple firms (Jefferies, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Raymond James, BofA, BMO, TD Cowen, Benchmark and others) lifted price targets/ratings after the print, signaling growing sell‑side confidence and supporting further upside. Analyst Price Target Moves
• Positive Sentiment: Operational execution improving — Company commentary and reports highlight network expansion, record fuel efficiency and efficiency initiatives that drove margin expansion; that operational progress underpins a multi‑year earnings upside thesis. Q1 Deep Dive: Efficiency Initiatives
• Neutral Sentiment: One‑time items and revenue mix — Q1 included gains from real‑estate sales that helped EPS and revenue growth was modest (mixed with a slight top‑line miss), so some of the beat reflects non‑recurring items and cost reductions rather than pure demand strength. CSX Q1 Results Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and insider flows — Unusually large call buying (22,656 calls) signals speculative bullish positioning; insider activity is mixed (some sales but a CEO purchase), so flows are ambiguous for signaling broad conviction. (See trading summaries in media coverage.)
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and a downgrade — Morgan Stanley warned the turnaround appears largely priced in and cut its recommendation/target (citing stretched valuation), and some analysts caution about price risk after a strong YTD run; that has prompted profit‑taking and more cautious positioning. Morgan Stanley Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed analyst views on sustainability of gains — Several commentaries note the revenue beat was small and question how much of margin improvement is repeatable if volumes soften; that introduces near‑term execution risk and volatility. Analysts Mixed on Q1

About CSX

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.