CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Given New $48.00 Price Target at Benchmark

Key Points

• Benchmark raised its price target to $48 (from $46) and kept a "buy" rating, while MarketBeat's consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $45.02 (16 Buys, 9 Holds).
• Q1 results beat on EPS — $0.43 vs. $0.39 expected — but revenue slightly missed at $3.48B, and management guided to >60% free‑cash‑flow growth for 2026.
• Shares jumped about 6.6% to $46.01, trading near 52‑week highs (raising valuation risk), and insider activity was mixed with the CEO buying 25,000 shares while other executives sold material stakes.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX - Get Free Report) had its price target raised by investment analysts at Benchmark from $46.00 to $48.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the transportation company's stock. Benchmark's price objective suggests a potential upside of 4.33% from the stock's previous close.

CSX has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price objective on CSX from $42.50 to $45.50 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on CSX from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on CSX from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday. Vertical Research downgraded CSX from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $44.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on CSX from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $45.02.

CSX Trading Up 6.6%

Shares of NASDAQ CSX traded up $2.83 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $46.01. 8,490,344 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 13,458,998. The stock has a market capitalization of $85.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company's 50 day moving average price is $41.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $38.02. CSX has a 12 month low of $27.18 and a 12 month high of $46.09.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $3.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.50 billion. CSX had a return on equity of 23.88% and a net margin of 20.50%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.34 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that CSX will post 1.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other CSX news, EVP Stephen Fortune sold 31,456 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.65, for a total value of $1,215,774.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 82,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,170,614.10. This represents a 27.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Stephen F. Angel bought 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $40.27 per share, with a total value of $1,006,750.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 146,540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,901,165.80. This trade represents a 20.57% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 188,123 shares of company stock worth $7,454,854. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CSX

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. FNY Investment Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CSX by 437.3% in the 3rd quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 720 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 586 shares during the period. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CSX in the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. lifted its stake in shares of CSX by 121.5% during the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 1,329 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 729 shares during the last quarter. CrossGen Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CSX during the 4th quarter worth $54,000. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CSX during the 4th quarter worth $63,000. 73.57% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key CSX News

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat on the bottom line — GAAP EPS $0.43 vs. $0.39 expected; operating income and net income rose ~20–25% year over year, driven by cost cuts and efficiency gains. GlobeNewswire: Q1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management signaled stronger cash generation and raised the outlook — CSX is forecasting material free‑cash‑flow growth (management cited >60% FCF growth for 2026) and noted more shippers are using rail to avoid rising fuel costs. Seeking Alpha: FCF Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets and ratings after the print — Bank of America to $49 (buy), BMO to $45 (market perform), TD Cowen to $45 (buy), providing near-term support/upside to the stock. Benzinga: Analyst Actions TickerReport: TD Cowen
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary is mixed — some analysts highlight a multi‑year earnings expansion opportunity while others warn of near‑term price risk despite strong margins. Seeking Alpha: Mixed Analysis Seeking Alpha: Longer-Term Thesis
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed estimates — Q1 revenue $3.48B vs. ~$3.50B expected, which tempers the EPS beat and raises questions about top‑line momentum. Yahoo Finance: Q1 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Insider activity is mixed — CEO purchased shares but several other executives sold material stakes recently, which can be perceived as a cautionary signal by some investors. QuiverQuant: Insider Trades
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation/price risk — coverage notes the stock is trading near 52‑week highs, which increases vulnerability to profit‑taking and makes any revenue softness more consequential. Investing.com: Price Risk

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.

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