Bank of America Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Stock

Key Points

• Bank of America raised its price target on CSX from $53 to $56 and kept a buy rating, implying about 6.26% upside from the prior close.
• CSX reported strong second-quarter results, with adjusted EPS of $0.54 beating estimates and revenue reaching a record $3.94 billion thanks to higher intermodal shipments, pricing, and volume gains.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly constructive, with 17 buy ratings versus eight holds and one sell, while the stock also traded near its 52-week high after rising 5.5% on the day.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX - Get Free Report) had its price target lifted by stock analysts at Bank of America from $53.00 to $56.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the transportation company's stock. Bank of America's price target suggests a potential upside of 6.26% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other analysts have also commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $52.00 target price (up from $49.00) on shares of CSX in a research report on Thursday. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price target on shares of CSX in a report on Monday, July 13th. Citigroup initiated coverage on CSX in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. They set a "market perform" rating for the company. New Street Research set a $49.00 target price on CSX in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on CSX from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $50.46.

CSX Trading Up 5.5%

Shares of CSX stock traded up $2.77 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $52.70. 15,746,304 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 13,162,975. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.97. CSX has a fifty-two week low of $31.80 and a fifty-two week high of $53.31. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $42.97. The firm has a market cap of $97.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.21.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.02. CSX had a net margin of 21.55% and a return on equity of 24.47%. The business had revenue of $3.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.89 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.44 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that CSX will post 1.92 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at CSX

In other CSX news, Director John J. Zillmer sold 10,000 shares of CSX stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.45, for a total transaction of $464,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 353,714 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,430,015.30. The trade was a 2.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kevin S. Boone sold 136,708 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.70, for a total transaction of $6,384,263.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 208,622 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,742,647.40. The trade was a 39.59% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CSX

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CSX. Arlington Trust Co LLC grew its stake in shares of CSX by 58.0% in the second quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 681 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Syon Capital LLC raised its position in shares of CSX by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 28,316 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,026,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted 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 worth $172,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares in the last quarter. Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC grew its position in CSX by 2.7% during 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 last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. grew its position in CSX by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 39,996 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,450,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.57% of the company's stock.

Key CSX News

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CSX reported Q2 adjusted EPS of $0.54, beating estimates, while revenue rose to a record $3.94 billion on stronger intermodal shipments, higher pricing, and broad-based volume gains. CSX second-quarter profit, revenue rises on intermodal demand
• Positive Sentiment: Operating income rose to $1.51 billion and the operating margin expanded to 38.3%, showing that cost controls and pricing are improving profitability even in a challenging freight backdrop. CSX Corp. Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year 2026 outlook after the beat, reinforcing confidence that recent demand trends and efficiency gains can continue. CSX Earns Buy Rating on Strong Q2 Beat, Raised Guidance and Upside to $54 Price Target Driven by Margin Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts responded favorably, including TD Cowen and UBS, which reiterated or raised Buy ratings and lifted price targets to $54, signaling more upside in the stock. Jason Seidl Raises CSX Price Target to $54, Reiterates Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: One Morgan Stanley analyst maintained a Sell rating with a $32 target, but this appears outweighed today by the stronger earnings momentum and more constructive analyst reactions. Analyst Reiterates Sell on CSX

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.

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