CSX Corporation · CSX · FY2025 Q4 · Calendar Q1 2026

CSX Maintains 2026 Outlook as Mix Headwinds Weigh on Revenue

The supplied analysis supports a mixed but constructive operating thesis: intermodal expansion, new double-stack capacity, pricing initiatives, and productivity could support improvement, while Q4 mix pressure, below-consensus results, inflation, and soft demand remain material offsets.

Reported After market closeNASDAQIndustrials $86.94B market cap
100quality score

Earnings scorecard

Reported versus consensus
Reported EPS $0.39 Consensus $0.41
EPS surprise -5.1% Reported versus consensus
Reported revenue $3.51B Consensus $3.54B
Revenue surprise -0.9% Reported versus consensus

Market reaction

event-close to next-session close
Stock move +2.4% Event window
SPY move +0.0% Same window
Abnormal move +2.4% Stock minus SPY
Volume 1.8× Versus trailing sessions
Subsequent drift +14.5% Up to 20 sessions
CSXSPY benchmark

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What changed

The current analysis adds a maintained 2026 outlook alongside 1% Q4 volume growth but a 1% revenue decline from mix and coal pricing. It also identifies a $150 million non-recurring cost base, productivity efforts targeting 200–300 basis points of operating-ratio improvement, and intermodal and double-stack expansion as central priorities.

Guidance delta

Management maintained guidance: low single-digit revenue growth, 200–300 basis-point margin expansion, capex below $2.4 billion, and free cash flow up at least 50% versus 2025.

Key takeaways

  • Q4 volume rose 1%, but revenue fell 1% because of commodity mix and coal-pricing headwinds.
  • Management highlighted intermodal growth, double-stack capacity, and productivity initiatives as key operating levers.
  • The supplied scorecard shows EPS of $0.39 versus $0.411 estimated and revenue of $3.508 billion versus $3.541 billion estimated.
  • The prior quarter emphasized completed infrastructure projects, improved service metrics, and potential capacity gains.

Management priorities

  • Ramp double-stack service through the Howard Street tunnel
  • Execute workforce optimization and more than 100 cost-saving initiatives
  • Improve pricing structures and price-yield management
  • Maintain disciplined capital spending and safety improvements

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Earnings History

Estimate Beat Miss Match
CSX EPS earnings history estimate and actual scatter chart 9 reported fiscal quarters and 4 future estimate-only quarters. Q1 '24 estimate $0.45 Q1 '24 actual $0.46, match Q2 '24 estimate $0.48 Q2 '24 actual $0.49, match Q3 '24 estimate $0.48 Q3 '24 actual $0.46, miss Q2 '25 estimate $0.42 Q2 '25 actual $0.44, beat Q3 '25 estimate $0.42 Q3 '25 actual $0.44, beat Q4 '25 estimate $0.41 Q4 '25 actual $0.39, miss Q1 '26 estimate $0.39 Q1 '26 actual $0.43, beat Q2 '26 estimate $0.52 Q2 '26 actual $0.54, beat Q3 '26 estimate $0.54 Q4 '26 estimate $0.50 Q1 '27 estimate $0.49 Q2 '27 estimate $0.61
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Analyst Consensus ?

ConsensusBuy45 ratings
Bullish2760.0%
Neutral1635.6%
Bearish24.4%

Analyst 52W Price Targets

$46.91Current
$25Low
$44.5Average
$105High

Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Sep 30, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.

Firm-level rating actions

FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.

FirmRatingPrior ratingActionDate
B of A Securities Buy BuyMaintainSep 18, 2026
Citigroup Neutral NeutralMaintainJul 24, 2026
TD Cowen Buy BuyMaintainJul 23, 2026
RBC Capital Outperform OutperformMaintainJul 23, 2026
JP Morgan Overweight OverweightMaintainJul 23, 2026
Show 40 more rating actions

Named analyst price targets

Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $46.9. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.

FirmAnalyst52W targetPrice when postedUpsideDate
RBC CapitalAnalyst unavailable$53$47.2 +13.0%Sep 24, 2026
Argus ResearchAnalyst unavailable$56$50.15 +19.4%Jul 31, 2026
Deutsche BankAnalyst unavailable$59$53.2 +25.8%Jul 24, 2026
RBC CapitalWalter Spracklin$54$52.68 +15.1%Jul 23, 2026
Stifel NicolausAnalyst unavailable$54$52.68 +15.1%Jul 23, 2026
See 96 more

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Company context

Snapshot as of publication

CSX Corporation, operating through its subsidiaries, stands as a leading provider of rail-based cargo transportation services. The company offers a wide range of services, including general rail freight, the movement of intermodal containers and trailers, and specialized transport solutions such as efficient rail-to-truck transfers and the handling of bulk commodities. CSX facilitates the shipment of a diverse array of goods, encompassing industrial chemicals, agricultural and food products, automotive components and finished vehicles, minerals, timber products, fertilizers, and various metals and heavy equipment. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in energy supply chains, transporting coal, coke, and iron ore to power generation facilities, steel manufacturers, and industrial plants, and also manages the export of coal via deep-water port access.…

Historical context

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Sources

  1. Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-05-11T10:29:34.698584+00:00
  2. FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-07-26T00:36:15.940040+00:00
  3. Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-09-30T16:36:05.489058+00:00
  4. Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-09-30T16:36:05.486290+00:00

Methodology

Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.

Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.

Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.

By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-09-30. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.