Loading…
Loading…
Norfolk Southern NYSE: NSC reported higher third-quarter revenue, operating income and earnings as volume growth, pricing and a tighter truck market supported demand across its business groups. The railroad also raised its 2026 capital spending outlook to fund capacity, resiliency and growth initiatives, while updating its full-year operating expense outlook for elevated fuel costs.
Norfolk Southern Corporation ( NSC ) Q3 2026 Earnings Call October 22, 2026 10:00 AM EDT Company Participants Luke Nichols - Senior Director of Investor Relations Mark George - President, CEO & Director Brian Barr - Chief Operating Officer Ed Elkins - Executive VP & Chief Commercial Officer Jason Zampi - Executive VP & CFO Conference Call Participants Scott Group - Wolfe Research, LLC Jonathan Chappell - Evercore ISI Institutional Equities, Research Division Jason Seidl - TD Cowen, Research Division Christian Wetherbee - Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Research Division Brian Ossenbeck - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division Bascome Majors - Stephens Inc., Research Division Richa Talwar - Deutsche Bank AG, Research Division Eric Morgan - Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division David Vernon - Bernstein Institutional Services LLC, Research Division Thomas Wadewitz - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division Ariel Rosa - Citigroup Inc., Research Division James McGarragle - RBC Capital Markets, Research Division Presentation Operator Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Norfolk Southern Corporation Third Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Also note that this call is being recorded on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
Norfolk Southern's Q3 2026 earnings and revenues beat estimates, driven by higher fuel surcharges and volume growth, even as rising expenses pressured margins.
US railroads pull ahead as high fuel costs hit truckers harder
The headline numbers for Norfolk Southern (NSC) give insight into how the company performed in the quarter ended September 2026, but it may be worthwhile to compare some of its key metrics to Wall Street estimates and the year-ago actuals.
Norfolk Southern (NSC) came out with quarterly earnings of $3.62 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.48 per share. This compares to earnings of $3.3 per share a year ago.
Norfolk Southern tops profit estimates as freight demand stays strong
Railroad achieves record quarterly revenues and strong earnings growth ATLANTA, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) announced Thursday its third quarter 2026 financial results. For the quarter, revenue was $3.5 billion, income from railway operations was $1.2 billion, operating ratio was 67.4%, and diluted earnings per share were $3.37.