CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Jefferies Financial Group Analyst Says

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) had its target price lifted by stock analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $50.00 to $52.00 in a report issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 14.51% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of CSX from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on shares of CSX from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of CSX in a report on Monday, December 29th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of CSX from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of CSX from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, CSX has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $45.26.

CSX Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CSX opened at $45.41 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $41.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.14. CSX has a 12-month low of $27.51 and a 12-month high of $46.55. The firm has a market cap of $84.38 billion, a PE ratio of 27.86, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.34 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that CSX will post 1.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at CSX

In related news, EVP Stephen Fortune sold 31,456 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.65, for a total value of $1,215,774.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 82,034 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,170,614.10. This represents a 27.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Stephen F. Angel acquired 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $40.27 per share, with a total value of $1,006,750.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 146,540 shares in the company, valued at $5,901,165.80. The trade was a 20.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 188,123 shares of company stock valued at $7,454,854 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CSX

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CSX. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC lifted its stake in CSX by 81.9% in the 3rd quarter. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC now owns 944,946 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $33,555,000 after purchasing an additional 425,395 shares during the last quarter. Pinebridge Investments LLC bought a new position in CSX in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $5,979,000. Reaves W H & Co. Inc. bought a new position in CSX in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $5,326,000. Cohen & Steers Inc. lifted its stake in CSX by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 8,282,107 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $300,226,000 after purchasing an additional 98,977 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allstate Corp lifted its stake in CSX by 105.7% in the 4th quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 136,869 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,962,000 after purchasing an additional 70,326 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.57% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting CSX

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.