CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Raymond James Financial Analyst Says

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) had its price target raised by stock analysts at Raymond James Financial from $40.00 to $41.00 in a report released on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Raymond James Financial’s target price points to a potential upside of 11.90% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on the company. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on CSX from $41.00 to $40.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $40.00 target price on CSX and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Wolfe Research lowered their target price on CSX from $43.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of CSX in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of CSX from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $37.00 to $40.00 in a report on Thursday, September 25th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $39.00.

CSX Stock Up 2.4%

CSX stock opened at $36.64 on Friday. CSX has a fifty-two week low of $26.22 and a fifty-two week high of $37.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.85. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $35.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $35.13. The stock has a market cap of $68.23 billion, a PE ratio of 23.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 1.30.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.41 by ($0.02). CSX had a net margin of 20.50% and a return on equity of 24.23%. The firm had revenue of $3.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.42 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that CSX will post 1.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of CSX

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CSX. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in shares of CSX by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 3,450,199 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $122,516,000 after buying an additional 8,639 shares in the last quarter. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC raised its holdings in CSX by 81.9% during 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 acquiring an additional 425,395 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its position in shares of CSX by 0.8% during the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 405,828 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $13,242,000 after acquiring an additional 3,162 shares in the last quarter. Cohen Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of CSX by 0.4% during the third quarter. Cohen Capital Management Inc. now owns 278,373 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,885,000 after acquiring an additional 1,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rathbones Group PLC boosted its holdings in shares of CSX by 20.6% in the third quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 207,454 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $7,367,000 after acquiring an additional 35,403 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.57% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting CSX

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management guided to 200–300 basis points of margin expansion in 2026 and reset long-term targets, which supports better profit outlooks beyond the weak quarter. CSX outlines 200–300 basis points margin expansion for 2026 while resetting long-term targets
• Positive Sentiment: Company highlighted cost initiatives and intermodal growth as drivers for 2026, which investors see as actionable levers to restore revenue and margin momentum. CSX Q4 Deep Dive: Cost Initiatives and Intermodal Growth Underpin 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Operating cash flow rose materially year-over-year (management highlighted stronger cash generation) and insider buying by the CEO was reported — signs management confidence and cash resiliency. CSX Releases Q4 2025 Earnings: Cash Flow Up
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street consensus remains skewed toward buy/outperform ratings and the median price target sits near $40, leaving room for upside if the 2026 recovery materializes. CSX Releases Q4 2025 Earnings: Price Targets & Analyst Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results missed expectations: EPS $0.39 (below estimates) and revenue ~ $3.51B (down 0.9% YoY), with severance/one-time costs weighing on the quarter — an immediate headwind to near-term earnings. CSX Corp Announces Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts trimmed forecasts and lowered price targets after the soft quarter (Citigroup and Evercore among those reducing targets), which increases the risk of further downward pressure if recovery signals stall. These Analysts Slash Their Forecasts On CSX After Weak Q4 Results CSX price target lowered by Evercore ISI
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and sector operational risks remain (a federal judge allowed CSX’s trespass claims to proceed and extreme-weather operating challenges require ongoing preparedness), which could create episodic costs or disruptions. Fed. Judge Allows CSX’s Trespass Claims to Continue Against Fiber Optics Co.

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.