Norfolk Southern (NSC) FCF Payout Ratio (2009 - 2026)
Norfolk Southern (NSC) reported FCF Payout Ratio of 7.97 for Q1 2026, down 1405.5% year-over-year from 0.61 in Q1 2025, and down 6778.95% on a QoQ basis from 0.12 in Q4 2025.
Norfolk Southern (NSC) has 18 years of FCF Payout Ratio data on file, last reported at 7.97 in Q1 2026.
- Quarterly FCF Payout Ratio fell 1405.5% year-over-year to 7.97 in Q1 2026, while the trailing twelve-month figure through Mar 2026 was 0.32 (down 3.65% YoY) and the FY2025 annual result came in at 0.28, down 45.03% from the prior year.
- FCF Payout Ratio eased to 7.97 in Q1 2026 per NSC's latest filing, from 0.12 in the prior quarter.
- Across five years, FCF Payout Ratio topped out at 2.61 in Q3 2023 and bottomed at 7.97 in Q1 2026.
- The 5-year median for FCF Payout Ratio is 0.26 (2023), against an average of 0.15.
- The widest annual swing landed in 2023, when FCF Payout Ratio soared 770.14%; it then sank 1405.5% in 2026.
- Tracing NSC's FCF Payout Ratio over 5 years: stood at 2.17 in 2022, then sank by 93.43% to 0.14 in 2023, then jumped by 125.98% to 0.32 in 2024, then sank by 62.9% to 0.12 in 2025, then slumped by 6778.95% to 7.97 in 2026.
- Per Business Quant, the three latest NSC FCF Payout Ratio figures stand at 7.97 (Q1 2026), 0.12 (Q4 2025), and 1.49 (Q3 2025).
Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | FCF Cover (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Union Pacific | 155.75 Bn | 154.71 Bn | 5.85 Bn | 0.55 |
| 2 | Csx | 84.18 Bn | 83.08 Bn | 3.18 Bn | 0.36 |
| 3 | Norfolk Southern | 68.46 Bn | 67.12 Bn | 2.74 Bn | -7.97 |
| 4 | Canadian Pacific Kansas City | 58.41 Bn | 58.81 Bn | 2.36 Bn | 0.65 |
| 5 | Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies | 44.40 Bn | 43.91 Bn | 1.06 Bn | 0.35 |
| 6 | Trinity Industries | 2.59 Bn | 2.65 Bn | 128.90 Mn | -0.48 |
| 7 | Greenbrier Companies | 1.46 Bn | 968.55 Mn | 69.50 Mn | 0.01 |
| 8 | Foster L B | 419.50 Mn | 416.39 Mn | 25.70 Mn | - |
| 9 | FreightCar America | 145.10 Mn | 80.80 Mn | - | - |
| 10 | Swvl Holdings | 18.35 Mn | 13.93 Mn | - | - |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2026 | -7.97 |
| Dec 31, 2025 | 0.12 |
| Sep 30, 2025 | -1.49 |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 0.20 |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 0.61 |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 0.32 |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 0.43 |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 0.20 |
| Mar 31, 2024 | -0.38 |
| Dec 31, 2023 | 0.14 |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 2.61 |
| Jun 30, 2023 | -1.12 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 0.26 |
| Dec 31, 2022 | 2.17 |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 0.30 |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 0.52 |
| Mar 31, 2022 | 0.49 |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 0.53 |
| Sep 30, 2021 | 0.33 |
| Jun 30, 2021 | 0.34 |
| Mar 31, 2021 | 0.33 |
| Dec 31, 2020 | 0.55 |
| Sep 30, 2020 | 0.35 |
| Jun 30, 2020 | 0.55 |
| Mar 31, 2020 | 0.41 |
| Dec 31, 2019 | 0.66 |
| Sep 30, 2019 | 0.47 |
| Jun 30, 2019 | 0.41 |
| Mar 31, 2019 | 0.56 |
| Dec 31, 2018 | 1.00 |
| Sep 30, 2018 | 0.39 |
| Jun 30, 2018 | 0.36 |
| Mar 31, 2018 | 0.47 |
| Dec 31, 2017 | 0.46 |
| Sep 30, 2017 | 0.38 |
| Jun 30, 2017 | 0.62 |
| Mar 31, 2017 | 0.43 |
| Dec 31, 2016 | 1.24 |
| Sep 30, 2016 | 0.34 |
| Jun 30, 2016 | 9.16 |
| Mar 31, 2016 | 0.37 |
| Dec 31, 2015 | 1.91 |
| Sep 30, 2015 | -0.96 |
| Jun 30, 2015 | 0.48 |
| Mar 31, 2015 | 0.76 |
| Dec 31, 2014 | -1.04 |
| Sep 30, 2014 | 0.52 |
| Jun 30, 2014 | 0.40 |
| Mar 31, 2014 | 0.81 |
| Dec 31, 2013 | 0.93 |
| Sep 30, 2013 | 0.52 |
| Jun 30, 2013 | 0.57 |
| Mar 31, 2013 | 0.46 |
| Dec 31, 2012 | -1.21 |
| Sep 30, 2012 | 0.61 |
| Jun 30, 2012 | 1.26 |
| Mar 31, 2012 | 0.27 |
| Dec 31, 2011 | -0.55 |
| Sep 30, 2011 | 0.29 |
| Jun 30, 2011 | 0.24 |
| Mar 31, 2011 | 0.62 |
| Dec 31, 2010 | 5.65 |
| Sep 30, 2010 | 0.32 |
| Jun 30, 2010 | 0.41 |
| Mar 31, 2010 | 0.25 |
| Dec 31, 2009 | 1.20 |
| Sep 30, 2009 | 0.33 |
| Jun 30, 2009 | -3.68 |
| Mar 31, 2009 | 1.13 |