NSC Set to Report Q1 Earnings: What's in the Offing for the Stock?

Core Viewpoint - Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) is expected to report first-quarter 2025 results on April 23, with earnings estimates revised downward by 5.2% to $2.72, indicating a 9.2$3.01 billion, reflecting a 0.1% rise from the previous year [1]. Group 1: Earnings Performance - NSC's earnings have lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate once in the last four quarters, surpassing it in the other three, with an average rise of 2.9% [2]. - The model does not predict an earnings beat for NSC this quarter, with an Earnings ESP of -0.60% and a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [7]. Group 2: Factors Influencing Performance - The first-quarter top-line performance is expected to be negatively impacted by inflation, high interest rates, tariff uncertainties, weak freight demand, and supply-chain disruptions [3]. - E-commerce demand is driving shipment volumes for NSC, which is likely to positively influence results [5]. - However, softness in freight revenues and volumes is anticipated to negatively affect performance in the upcoming quarter [6]. Group 3: Segment Performance - The Intermodal segment's revenue consensus is $767.6 million, indicating a 3$368.8 million, reflecting a 7% decrease from the same period [4]. Group 4: Previous Earnings Highlights - In Q4 2024, NSC reported earnings of $3.04 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of$2.95, with a year-over-year increase of 7.4% due to lower costs [8].