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Norfolk Southern (NSC) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Norfolk Southern logo
$340.90 +6.49 (+1.94%)
As of 03:58 PM Eastern

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

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
15
Buy
7

Based on 22 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 22 analysts, 15 have given a hold rating, and 7 have given a buy rating for NSC.

Consensus Price Target

$348.00
2.08% Upside
According to the 22 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Norfolk Southern, the average price target is $348.00. The highest price target for NSC is $400.00, while the lowest price target for NSC is $278.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 2.08% from the current price of $340.90.
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
8/17/25 to 8/17/26
1 Month Ago
7/18/25 to 7/18/26
3 Months Ago
5/19/25 to 5/19/26
1 Year Ago
8/17/24 to 8/17/25
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)
6 Buy rating(s)
6 Buy rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
Hold
15 Hold rating(s)
17 Hold rating(s)
17 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$348.00$329.35$319.83$285.15
Forecasted Upside2.08% Upside-3.20% Downside0.51% Upside1.53% Upside
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
2.32
2.29
2.53
Consensus RatingHoldHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside2.14% Upside343.17% Upside11.75% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent NSC News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
7/27/2026
Fadi Chamoun
Fadi Chamoun
2 of 5 stars
Boost TargetMarket Perform$310.00 ➝ $355.00+0.94%
7/27/2026
Robert W. Baird logo
Robert W. Baird
3 of 5 stars
Daniel Moore
Daniel Moore
5 of 5 stars
Boost TargetNeutral$360.00 ➝ $377.00+7.20%
7/24/2026
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
5 of 5 stars
 UpgradeHold (C+)Buy (B-)
7/24/2026 Reiterated RatingHold
7/24/2026Boost TargetSector Perform$320.00 ➝ $360.00+2.48%
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%
7/23/2026 Set Target$358.00+2.96%
7/14/2026Boost TargetNeutral$337.00 ➝ $360.00+9.81%
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 SellHold
2/25/2026 UpgradeHold
12/18/2025 UpgradeEqual WeightBuy
12/11/2025DowngradeBuyHold$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 RatingBuyNeutral$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 09:34 PM 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 Thursday, August 13, 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 current stock price is around $318, reflecting a strong market position and investor confidence in the company's operations.
  • Norfolk Southern Co. has demonstrated robust financial performance, with a recent quarterly revenue increase of 12.5% compared to the same period last year, indicating strong demand for its services.
  • The company has a solid dividend yield of 1.6%, providing a steady income stream for investors, which is supported by a payout ratio of 46.08%, suggesting a sustainable dividend policy.
  • With a return on equity of 18.21%, Norfolk Southern Co. shows effective management and profitability, which can attract long-term investors looking for growth.
  • The firm operates an extensive network across the eastern United States, allowing it to serve a diverse range of industries, which can mitigate risks associated with economic fluctuations.

Norfolk Southern
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

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

  • The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, indicating a relatively high level of debt compared to equity, which could pose risks in a rising interest rate environment.
  • With a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.73, Norfolk Southern Co. may face liquidity challenges, suggesting it might struggle to cover short-term obligations.
  • The stock has shown volatility with a beta of 1.27, meaning it is more volatile than the market, which could lead to higher risk for investors.
  • Despite recent revenue growth, the company operates in a highly competitive industry, which could impact future profitability and market share.
  • Market analysts have mixed forecasts for the company's future earnings, which could lead to uncertainty regarding its growth trajectory.

NSC Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 22 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Norfolk Southern is $348.00, with a high forecast of $400.00 and a low forecast of $278.00.

22 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Norfolk Southern in the last twelve months. There are currently 15 hold ratings and 7 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street 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 2.08% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Norfolk Southern's stock had 2 upgrades by analysts.

Analysts like Norfolk Southern more than other "industrials" companies. The consensus rating score for Norfolk Southern is 2.32 while the average consensus rating score for "industrials" companies is 2.29. Learn more on how NSC compares to other companies.


This page (NYSE:NSC) was last updated on 8/17/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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