Is CSX or NSC cheaper?

On trailing earnings, NSC is cheaper: CSX trades at a 29.18 P/E and NSC at 26.45.

Which has grown faster, CSX or NSC?

Over the past five years, CSX grew revenue faster — CSX at a 6.07% CAGR versus NSC at 4.45%.

Does CSX or NSC pay a bigger dividend?

CSX yields 1.14% and NSC yields 1.72% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CSX or NSC more profitable?

NSC runs the higher net margin — CSX at 21.55% versus NSC at 21.91%.

Which has been the better investment, CSX or NSC?

Over the past 10-year, CSX delivered the higher annualized total return — CSX at 19.87% versus NSC at 16.41%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

CSX Corporation (CSX) vs Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC)

NSC leads on 10 of 16 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of CSX Corporation and Norfolk Southern Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Norfolk Southern Corporation

$70.50B

$313.91Industrials

Total return — CSX vs NSC

growth of $100 · last 30y

CSX +1668.4%NSC +1021.1%CSX compounded faster

CSX NSC

CSX vs NSC: by the numbers

•CSX is the larger company ($88.39B vs $70.50B market cap).
•NSC trades at the lower earnings multiple (26.45 vs 29.18 P/E).
•NSC converts more revenue to profit (21.91% vs 21.55% net margin).
•CSX grew revenue faster over the past five years (6.07% vs 4.45% CAGR).
•NSC pays the higher dividend yield (1.72% vs 1.14%).

Which is better, CSX or NSC?

Metric tally: CSX 6 · NSC 10

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueNSC(lower P/E)

GrowthCSX(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeNSC(higher dividend yield)

QualityCSX(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	CSX	NSC
P/E ratio	29.18	26.45●
Forward P/E	21.92●	23.20
P/S ratio	6.26	5.80●
P/B ratio	6.52	4.47●
PEG ratio	5.70	2.24●
EV / EBITDA	16.47	15.65●
FCF yield	4.66%	5.41%●

Profitability

Metric	CSX	NSC
Gross margin	37.54%	45.31%●
Operating margin	33.45%●	32.39%
Net margin	21.55%	21.91%
ROE	22.47%●	16.89%
ROIC	8.40%●	7.47%

Dividends

Metric	CSX	NSC
Dividend yield	1.14%	1.72%●
Payout ratio	35.06%	42.35%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CSX	NSC
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.07%●	4.45%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	5.12%	10.10%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	8.34%	10.65%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	9.44%●	5.11%

Frequently asked

Which is better, CSX or NSC?: It depends on your goal. value: NSC (lower P/E); growth: CSX (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: NSC (higher dividend yield); quality: CSX (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, NSC leads 10 to 6.
Is CSX or NSC cheaper?: On trailing earnings, NSC is cheaper: CSX trades at a 29.18 P/E and NSC at 26.45.
Which has grown faster, CSX or NSC?: Over the past five years, CSX grew revenue faster — CSX at a 6.07% CAGR versus NSC at 4.45%.
Does CSX or NSC pay a bigger dividend?: CSX yields 1.14% and NSC yields 1.72% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CSX or NSC more profitable?: NSC runs the higher net margin — CSX at 21.55% versus NSC at 21.91%.
Which has been the better investment, CSX or NSC?: Over the past 10-year, CSX delivered the higher annualized total return — CSX at 19.87% versus NSC at 16.41%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CSX analysis Full NSC analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

CSX P/E ratio Norfolk Southern P/E ratio CSX dividend yield Norfolk Southern dividend yield CSX ROE Norfolk Southern ROE CSX operating margin Norfolk Southern operating margin CSX revenue growth Norfolk Southern revenue growth CSX free cash flow Norfolk Southern free cash flow

CSX & Norfolk Southern appear in these rankings

Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Best 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 14, 2026.