CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Sets New 12-Month High After Earnings Beat

CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $52.25 and last traded at $52.8610, with a volume of 33713 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $49.93.

The transportation company reported $0.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.02. CSX had a net margin of 22.21% and a return on equity of 25.42%. The firm had revenue of $3.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.44 EPS. CSX’s revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis.

CSX Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. CSX’s payout ratio is 34.36%.

CSX News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CSX posted Q2 adjusted EPS of $0.54, beating estimates, while revenue rose 10.1% year over year to a record $3.94 billion, helped by stronger intermodal demand, higher pricing, fuel surcharge revenue, and improved efficiency. Reuters: CSX second-quarter profit, revenue rises on intermodal demand
• Positive Sentiment: The company said operating income and margins improved meaningfully, with operating margin expanding to 38.3%, signaling that cost controls and volume growth are translating into better profitability. GlobeNewswire: CSX Corp. Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: CSX raised its 2026 outlook after the beat, and multiple brokers turned more constructive, including JPMorgan, Bank of America, TD Cowen, and UBS, which added to the bullish tone around the stock. Yahoo Finance: CSX boosts outlook on higher volume and revenue
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the strong quarter, one analyst reiterated a Sell rating, arguing that upside remains limited, which creates a contrasting view but has not outweighed the upbeat earnings reaction. TipRanks: Analyst Reiterates Sell on CSX

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on CSX shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of CSX from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on CSX in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $52.00 price target (up from $49.00) on shares of CSX in a research report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus set a $54.00 price target on CSX in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut CSX from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $50.54.

Insider Activity at CSX

In related news, CFO Kevin S. Boone sold 136,708 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.70, for a total transaction of $6,384,263.60. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 208,622 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,742,647.40. This represents a 39.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director John J. Zillmer sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.45, for a total transaction of $464,500.00. Following the sale, the director owned 353,714 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,430,015.30. This trade represents a 2.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of CSX

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CSX. Pinebridge Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CSX during the fourth quarter worth about $5,979,000. Cohen & Steers Inc. lifted its stake in shares of CSX by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 8,282,107 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $300,226,000 after buying an additional 98,977 shares during the period. Allstate Corp lifted its stake in shares of CSX by 105.7% during the fourth quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 136,869 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,962,000 after buying an additional 70,326 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of CSX by 159.5% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 73,410 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,661,000 after buying an additional 45,116 shares during the period. Finally, KTF Investments LLC acquired a new stake in CSX during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,325,000. 73.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CSX Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $98.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $47.55 and its 200-day moving average is $43.08.

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.