CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Downgraded to Neutral Rating by Citigroup

Citigroup lowered shares of CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has $44.00 price target on the transportation company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $41.00.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on CSX. Morgan Stanley set a $30.00 target price on CSX and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on CSX from $42.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on CSX from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Bank of America decreased their price target on CSX from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on CSX from $41.00 to $40.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $41.44.

CSX Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CSX opened at $41.42 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. CSX has a twelve month low of $26.29 and a twelve month high of $43.35. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $40.51 and its 200-day moving average is $37.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.90, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.25.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last issued its 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 return on equity of 23.88% and a net margin of 20.50%.The firm had revenue of $3.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.42 earnings per share. CSX’s revenue for the quarter was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that CSX will post 1.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CSX Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. This is an increase from CSX’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. CSX’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other CSX news, CEO Stephen F. Angel acquired 25,000 shares of CSX stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $40.27 per share, for a total transaction of $1,006,750.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 146,540 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,901,165.80. This trade represents a 20.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Stephen Fortune sold 31,456 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 trade represents a 27.72% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 188,123 shares of company stock worth $7,454,854. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Syon Capital LLC grew its stake in CSX by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 28,316 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,026,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in CSX by 7.3% in the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 4,757 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $172,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares during the period. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in CSX by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,324 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $296,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares during the period. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC grew its stake in CSX by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC now owns 13,048 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $463,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the period. Finally, Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in CSX by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,235 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $480,000 after purchasing an additional 346 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.57% of the company’s stock.

CSX News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple broker upgrades/price-target raises signal continued analyst confidence — Wolfe Research raised its target to $46 and kept an “outperform” call, which supports upside. Wolfe Research Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens bumped its target to $47 and kept an “overweight” rating, the most bullish PT among the recent updates and a constructive signal for medium‑term upside. Stephens Raise
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $42 and kept an “overweight” rating, adding incremental analyst support. JPMorgan Raise Additional Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece highlights that CSX’s valuation premium is under pressure after weak quarterly results (EPS and revenue misses), which can damp investor appetite and explain selling pressure. Seeking Alpha Article
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup downgraded CSX from “buy” to “neutral” despite raising its PT to $44 — a signal that some sell‑side desks see less near‑term upside, which can pressure the stock. Citigroup Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Operational headwind: local reports show a washed‑out track near Coloma and damage at a State Road 54 crossing; CSX is repairing the damage, which could cause short‑term service disruptions or repair costs. HeraldPalladium WTHI Report MSN Article

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.