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 upped by TD Cowen from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the transportation company's stock. TD Cowen's target price would suggest a potential upside of 4.21% from the company's current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on CSX. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on CSX from $42.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of CSX in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on CSX from $42.50 to $45.50 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Bank of America cut their price target on CSX from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Susquehanna reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $39.00 price objective on shares of CSX in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Sixteen 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, CSX has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.41.

CSX Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:CSX opened at $43.18 on Thursday. CSX has a 12-month low of $27.18 and a 12-month high of $43.80. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $41.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.02. The company has a market capitalization of $80.35 billion, a PE ratio of 28.04, a P/E/G 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.

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

Insider Transactions at CSX

In other news, CAO Diana B. Sorfleet sold 90,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.56, for a total value of $3,740,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 165,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,882,876.28. This trade represents a 35.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Stephen F. Angel acquired 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $40.27 per share, with a total value of $1,006,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 146,540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,901,165.80. This represents a 20.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 188,123 shares of company stock valued at $7,454,854 in the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of CSX

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cohen & Steers Inc. lifted its position in CSX by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 8,282,107 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $300,226,000 after acquiring an additional 98,977 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in CSX by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 3,450,199 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $122,516,000 after acquiring an additional 8,639 shares during the period. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC lifted its position 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 worth $33,555,000 after acquiring an additional 425,395 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its position in CSX by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 423,312 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $15,345,000 after acquiring an additional 18,025 shares during the period. Finally, Cohen Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in CSX by 0.4% during the 3rd 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 during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.57% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting CSX

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

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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