Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of CSX FY2026 Earnings

CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research raised their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for CSX in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, August 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the transportation company will post earnings of $2.00 per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of $1.90. The consensus estimate for CSX’s current full-year earnings is $1.99 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for CSX’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.51 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.49 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.50 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.57 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.58 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.14 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.47 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.54 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.27 EPS.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.02. CSX had a net margin of 22.21% and a return on equity of 24.98%. The company had revenue of $3.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.44 EPS. CSX’s revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Several other analysts have also commented on CSX. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $54.00 target price (up from $51.00) on shares of CSX in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Stephens began coverage on shares of CSX in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $57.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised CSX from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $54.00 price objective on CSX in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on CSX in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $51.31.

CSX Stock Performance

Shares of CSX opened at $51.12 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $48.44 and its 200-day moving average is $44.06. CSX has a 12-month low of $31.80 and a 12-month high of $53.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $94.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.21.

CSX Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be issued a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. CSX’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.37%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Michael S. Burns sold 13,000 shares of CSX stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.68, for a total value of $684,840.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 59,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,141,993.24. This trade represents a 17.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director John J. Zillmer sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.45, for a total transaction of $464,500.00. Following the sale, the director owned 353,714 shares in the company, valued at $16,430,015.30. This represents a 2.75% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 189,708 shares of company stock valued at $9,132,304. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CSX

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CSX in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC grew its holdings in shares of CSX by 58.0% during the second quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 681 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of CSX by 97.4% during the first quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 829 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 409 shares in the last quarter. Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in CSX during the second quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, CrossGen Wealth LLC acquired a new position in CSX during the fourth quarter valued at $54,000. 73.57% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CSX News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised nearly all of its CSX earnings forecasts. Estimates increased for Q4 2026 EPS to $0.51 from $0.49, fiscal 2026 EPS to $2.00 from $1.90, fiscal 2027 EPS to $2.14 from $2.10, and fiscal 2028 EPS to $2.27 from $2.16. Several quarterly forecasts were also lifted, including Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q1 2028 and Q2 2028. The revisions imply improving expectations for CSX’s earnings growth and are the clearest positive catalyst for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent results highlighted strong intermodal demand, with more freight moving by rail instead of truck and steady pricing helping CSX achieve record quarterly revenue of $3.94 billion. CSX also exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.54 EPS versus the $0.52 consensus estimate. Here’s How Intermodal Demand Is Positioning CSX Corp. for Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks revision reduced Q3 2027 EPS to $0.57 from $0.60, partially offsetting the broader upward revisions. However, the firm maintained its higher full-year 2027 and 2028 forecasts.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing CSX with transportation peers provides context on its year-to-date performance but does not introduce a new company-specific earnings or operational catalyst. Is CSX Stock Outpacing Its Transportation Peers This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: A report about an alleged theft of nearly $44,000 in tires from a CSX train is reputationally unfavorable, but the incident appears too small to materially affect the company’s financial outlook.

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.