Norfolk Southern (NSC) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?

Core Viewpoint - The market anticipates Norfolk Southern (NSC) will report a year-over-year increase in earnings driven by higher revenues for the quarter ended June 2025, with actual results being crucial for stock price movement [1][2]. Earnings Expectations - Norfolk Southern is expected to post quarterly earnings of $3.26 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of +6.5% [3]. - Revenues are projected to reach $3.13 billion, which is a 3% increase from the same quarter last year [3]. Estimate Revisions - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised 2.24% lower in the last 30 days, indicating a reassessment by analysts [4]. - The Most Accurate Estimate for Norfolk Southern is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, resulting in an Earnings ESP of +0.04% [12]. Earnings Surprise Prediction - A positive Earnings ESP reading suggests a potential earnings beat, particularly when combined with a strong Zacks Rank [10]. - Norfolk Southern currently holds a Zacks Rank of 4, making it challenging to predict an earnings beat conclusively [12]. Historical Performance - In the last reported quarter, Norfolk Southern was expected to earn $2.72 per share but delivered $2.69, resulting in a surprise of -1.10% [13]. - Over the past four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times [14]. Industry Comparison - Union Pacific (UNP), a competitor in the Zacks Transportation - Rail industry, is expected to report earnings of $2.89 per share for the same quarter, indicating a year-over-year change of +5.5% [18]. - Union Pacific's revenues are expected to be $6.11 billion, up 1.7% from the previous year, with a higher Most Accurate Estimate leading to an Earnings ESP of +0.5% [19].