Norfolk Southern (NSC) Up 0.8% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Norfolk Southern (NSC). Shares have added about 0.8% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Norfolk Southern due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers. Earnings Beat at Norfolk Southern in Q3NSC's third-quarter 2024 earnings (excluding $1.6 from non-recurring items) of $3.25 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.10 and increased 22.6% year over year, owing to lower costs.Railway operating revenues were $3.05 billion in the quarter under review, lagging the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.09 billion. The top line increased 2.7% year over year, with the Merchandise and Intermodal segments registering improvement in revenues.Overall volumes increased 7%. Total revenue per unit dipped 4% year over year. Income from railway operations more than doubled to to $1.6 billion.Railway operating expenses declined 34% on a year-over-year basis to $1.45 billion, primarily due to a double-digit decrease in expenses on fuel.Norfolk Southern’s operating ratio (operating expenses as a percentage of revenues) on an adjusted basis improved to 63.4% in the third quarter from 69.1% in the year-ago quarter, mainly owing to lower costs. A lower value of the metric is desirable.Segmental Performance of NSCMerchandise revenues improved 3% year over year to $1.86 billion. Actual segmental revenues were lower than our estimate of $1.9 billion. Volumes, as well as revenue per unit increased 2% year over year.Revenues from Intermodal improved 4% year over year to $763 million. Actual segmental revenues were lower than our projection of $765.1 million. While segmental volumes increased 9%, revenue per unit tumbled 5%.Coal revenues came in at $427 million, down 2% year over year. Actual segmental revenues surpassed our projection of $423.1 million. Coal volumes improved 11% year over year. Revenue per unit declined 11% in the reported quarter.Liquidity & BuybackNorfolk Southern exited the third quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $975 million compared with $1.56 billion at the end of 2023. NSC had a long-term debt of $16.6 billion at the third-quarter end compared with $17.2 billion at the end of 2023.The company did not repurchase any shares under its stock repurchase program in the third quarter of 2024.How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.VGM ScoresCurrently, Norfolk Southern has an average Growth Score of C, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with a D. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy.Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of D. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, Norfolk Southern has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double"From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks