CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Price Target Raised to $45.00

Key Points

• TD Cowen raised its price target on CSX to $45.00 (from $40) and maintains a "buy" rating, while the analyst consensus averages a $42.41 target with 16 Buys, 8 Holds and 1 Sell—implying modest upside from current levels.
• CSX beat Q1 EPS expectations ($0.43 vs. $0.39) with ~25% higher net income and modest revenue growth (+1.7% to $3.48B), and management upgraded its 2026 free cash flow outlook to >60% growth and raised revenue guidance to mid‑single digits.
• Insider and institutional activity is mixed: the CAO sold 90,000 shares while the CEO bought 25,000, insiders net sold substantial shares last quarter, and institutions own ~73.6% of the stock—adding near‑term uncertainty despite operational improvements.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by stock analysts at BMO Capital Markets from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage presently has a "market perform" rating on the transportation company's stock. BMO Capital Markets' price target would indicate a potential upside of 4.21% from the stock's previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on CSX. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of CSX from $39.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Wolfe Research lifted their price target on CSX from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Argus increased their price objective on CSX from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Evercore lowered CSX from an "outperform" rating to an "in-line" rating and set a $41.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their target price on CSX from $42.50 to $45.50 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $43.50.

CSX Stock Performance

NASDAQ CSX opened at $43.18 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $80.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.04, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $41.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. CSX has a 12-month low of $27.18 and a 12-month high of $43.80.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.04. CSX had a net margin of 20.50% and a return on equity of 23.88%. The firm had revenue of $3.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.50 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.34 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that CSX will post 1.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at CSX

In other CSX news, CEO Stephen F. Angel bought 25,000 shares of CSX stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was bought at an average cost 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. The trade was a 20.57% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Diana B. Sorfleet sold 90,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.56, for a total value of $3,740,400.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 165,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,882,876.28. The trade was a 35.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 188,123 shares of company stock worth $7,454,854. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CSX. Cohen & Steers Inc. increased its position in shares of CSX by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 8,282,107 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $300,226,000 after purchasing an additional 98,977 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of CSX by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 3,450,199 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $122,516,000 after buying an additional 8,639 shares during the last quarter. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC grew its position in CSX by 81.9% during the third 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 buying an additional 425,395 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its holdings in CSX by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 423,312 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $15,345,000 after buying an additional 18,025 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cohen Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in 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 buying an additional 1,100 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.57% of the company's stock.

More CSX News

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: EPS and profit beat: CSX delivered diluted EPS of $0.43 (vs. ~$0.39 consensus) and reported a roughly 25% jump in net income year‑over‑year driven by lower operating costs and margin expansion. This drove the initial rally. AP: CSX delivers 25% jump in profit
• Positive Sentiment: Efficiency and volumes: Management cited efficiency gains and rising intermodal volumes (total units +3% y/y) that helped operating income rise to $1.25B and gross profit expand materially. These operational improvements underpin better margins and cash generation. Investing: Efficiency gains drive beat
• Positive Sentiment: Upgraded cash‑flow outlook: CSX raised its 2026 free cash flow outlook (anticipating >60% FCF growth) and moved revenue guidance to mid‑single digits — a clear positive for buybacks/debt paydown and long‑term value creation. Seeking Alpha: FCF growth outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue mixed: Revenue totaled $3.48B (+1.7% y/y) but missed some street estimates (~$3.50B), so growth is positive but modest; investors will watch whether mid‑single digit guidance materializes. GlobeNewswire: Q1 results
• Neutral Sentiment: Cash flow & capex mix: Operating cash flow rose strongly and capex was down y/y, improving free cash flow conversion — positive for capital allocation but investors will monitor reinvestment levels vs. long‑term growth. Yahoo / FreightWaves: cash flow and volumes
• Negative Sentiment: High expectations and valuation: CSX was trading near 52‑week highs heading into the print, so the bar was high; a revenue miss and modest top‑line growth leave the stock vulnerable to profit‑taking if future quarters don't show sustained top‑line acceleration. Investing: earnings test near highs
• Negative Sentiment: Insider/ownership notes and analyst dispersion: Some large institutional repositioning and recent insider sales (reported by data providers) plus a wide range of analyst price targets indicate differing views on upside, adding near‑term uncertainty. QuiverQuant: institutional and insider activity

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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