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Norfolk Southern (NSC) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Norfolk Southern logo
$317.20 +6.94 (+2.24%)
Closing price 10/2/2026 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$318.80 +1.60 (+0.51%)
As of 10/2/2026 07:56 PM Eastern
Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Massive. Learn more.

Norfolk Southern - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
14
Buy
7

Based on 21 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Norfolk Southern in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold." Out of the 21 analysts, 14 have given a hold rating, and 7 have given a buy rating for NSC.

Consensus Price Target

$350.00
10.34% Upside
According to the 21 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Norfolk Southern, the average price target is $350.00. The highest price target for NSC is $400.00, while the lowest price target for NSC is $297.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 10.34% from the current price of $317.20.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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NSC Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
10/4/25 to 10/4/26
1 Month Ago
9/4/25 to 9/4/26
3 Months Ago
7/6/25 to 7/6/26
1 Year Ago
10/4/24 to 10/4/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
7 Buy rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
6 Buy rating(s)
8 Buy rating(s)
Hold
14 Hold rating(s)
15 Hold rating(s)
16 Hold rating(s)
13 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$350.00$348.00$320.35$292.50
Forecasted Upside10.34% Upside5.75% Upside-0.52% Downside-2.51% Downside
Consensus RatingHoldHoldHoldHold

NSC Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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NSC Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Norfolk Southern Stock vs. The Competition

TypeNorfolk SouthernIndustrials CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.33
2.31
2.53
Consensus RatingHoldHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside10.34% Upside107.63% Upside21.53% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Neutral News

See Recent NSC News
Positive News
Neutral News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
10/2/2026
Susquehanna logo
Susquehanna
5 of 5 stars
Bascome Majors
Bascome Majors
4 of 5 stars
Lower TargetNeutral$386.00 ➝ $350.00+12.76%
9/30/2026
Evercore Inc logo
Evercore
3 of 5 stars
 Boost Target$358.00 ➝ $360.00+15.04%
9/25/2026
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
3 of 5 stars
 DowngradeBuy (B) ➝ Buy (B-)
9/24/2026Lower TargetSector Perform$360.00 ➝ $330.00+4.70%
7/27/2026Boost TargetMarket Perform$310.00 ➝ $355.00+0.94%
7/27/2026Boost TargetNeutral$360.00 ➝ $377.00+7.20%
7/24/2026 Reiterated RatingHold
7/24/2026 Reiterated RatingNeutral$363.00+4.24%
7/24/2026Boost TargetBuy$337.00 ➝ $376.00+8.14%
7/24/2026Boost TargetOverweight$360.00 ➝ $400.00+15.04%
7/24/2026Boost TargetNeutral$351.00 ➝ $376.00+6.56%
7/24/2026Boost TargetNeutral$316.00 ➝ $338.00-3.78%
7/24/2026Boost TargetOverweight$365.00 ➝ $385.00+9.24%
7/8/2026 UpgradeHold
4/29/2026 Boost TargetNeutral$308.00 ➝ $315.00+0.70%
4/7/2026 Boost TargetOutperform$350.00 ➝ $355.00+23.55%
4/6/2026 Lower TargetHold$350.00 ➝ $310.00+7.89%
3/31/2026Lower TargetOutperform$322.00 ➝ $313.00+10.35%
3/4/2026 UpgradeStrong Sell ➝ Hold
2/25/2026 UpgradeHold
12/18/2025 UpgradeEqual Weight ➝ Buy
12/11/2025DowngradeBuy ➝ Hold$354.00 ➝ $297.00+0.88%
9/16/2025 Boost TargetHold$235.00 ➝ $278.00-0.59%
7/17/2025Boost TargetBuy$290.00 ➝ $305.00+17.18%
6/2/2025Reiterated RatingBuy ➝ Neutral$278.00+12.50%
4/14/2025Lower TargetHold$265.00 ➝ $247.00+11.74%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Monday at 12:00 AM ET.


Should I Buy Norfolk Southern Stock? NSC Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Saturday, October 3, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Norfolk Southern pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Norfolk Southern
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Norfolk Southern Co.:

  • The company recently achieved a significant regulatory milestone for its merger with Union Pacific, as the Surface Transportation Board unanimously denied opponents' requests to dismiss the revised merger application, providing clarity and momentum for creating America's first transcontinental railroad.
  • Norfolk Southern Co. demonstrated strong financial performance in its most recent quarterly report, beating analyst consensus estimates with earnings per share of $3.52 and revenue of $3.46 billion, which represented a 12.5% year-over-year increase.
  • The stock is currently trading at $317.20, which is below the consensus price target of $350.50, suggesting potential upside of approximately 10.5% based on the average target from twenty-one brokerages covering the company.
  • Institutional investors continue to show confidence in the company, with major firms like BlackRock and Bank of America acquiring new positions in the second quarter, and institutional ownership standing at 75.10% of the company's stock.
  • The company offers a dividend yield of 1.74%, providing income to investors, while maintaining a solid return on equity of 18.21% and a net margin of 21.02% in its latest reported quarter.

Norfolk Southern
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Norfolk Southern Co. for these reasons:

  • The stock carries a high valuation with a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.06, which some analysts, such as those at Susquehanna, have cited as a reason to lower price targets and maintain a neutral rating despite recent earnings beats.
  • The consensus rating from sell-side analysts is "Hold," with fourteen analysts recommending a hold and only seven recommending a buy, indicating a lack of strong bullish conviction among professional investors.
  • Short interest has been fluctuating, with the most recent data showing 7,619,508 shares shorted, representing a 3.4% short interest of the float, which suggests a portion of the market is betting against the stock's price appreciation.
  • The company's debt-to-equity ratio stands at 0.98, indicating a significant level of leverage that could impact financial flexibility, particularly as it navigates the costs and integration challenges associated with its pending merger.
  • Recent analyst actions have been mixed, with Royal Bank of Canada cutting its price target to $330.00 and Susquehanna lowering its target to $350.00, reflecting caution regarding the stock's near-term valuation and growth prospects.

NSC Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 21 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Norfolk Southern is $350.00, with a high forecast of $400.00 and a low forecast of $297.00.

21 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Norfolk Southern in the last twelve months. There are currently 14 hold ratings and 7 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "hold" NSC shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in NSC, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

According to analysts, Norfolk Southern's stock has a predicted upside of 10.34% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Norfolk Southern's stock had 3 upgrades and 1 downgrade by analysts.

Analysts like Norfolk Southern more than other "industrials" companies. The consensus rating score for Norfolk Southern is 2.33 while the average consensus rating score for "industrials" companies is 2.31. Learn more on how NSC compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Norfolk Southern analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 10/2/2026.
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