Norfolk Southern (NSC) Operating Margin (2009 - 2026)
Norfolk Southern (NSC) reported Operating Margin of 29.25% for Q1 2026, down 904.0% year-over-year from 3.64% in Q1 2025, and down 7.15% on a QoQ basis from 31.51% in Q4 2025.
Norfolk Southern (NSC) has 18 years of Operating Margin data on file, last reported at 29.25% in Q1 2026.
- Quarterly Operating Margin fell 904.0% year-over-year to 29.25% in Q1 2026, while the trailing twelve-month figure through Mar 2026 was 33.54% (down 777.0% YoY) and the FY2025 annual result came in at 35.76%, up 218.0% from the prior year.
- Operating Margin declined to 29.25% in Q1 2026 per NSC's latest filing, from 31.51% in the prior quarter.
- Across five years, Operating Margin topped out at 52.31% in Q3 2024 and bottomed at 7.09% in Q1 2024.
- The 5-year median for Operating Margin is 36.48% (2022), against an average of 32.4%.
- The widest annual swing landed in 2023, when Operating Margin slumped 1978 bps; it then jumped 3120 bps in 2025.
- Tracing NSC's Operating Margin over 5 years: stood at 36.48% in 2022, then declined by 28 bps to 26.29% in 2023, then soared by 42 bps to 37.4% in 2024, then declined by 16 bps to 31.51% in 2025, then retreated by 7 bps to 29.25% in 2026.
- Per Business Quant, the three latest NSC Operating Margin figures stand at 29.25% (Q1 2026), 31.51% (Q4 2025), and 35.39% (Q3 2025).
Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | Operating Margin (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Union Pacific | 155.75 Bn | 154.71 Bn | 5.85 Bn | 39.54% |
| 2 | Csx | 84.18 Bn | 83.08 Bn | 3.18 Bn | 35.99% |
| 3 | Norfolk Southern | 68.46 Bn | 67.12 Bn | 2.74 Bn | 29.25% |
| 4 | Canadian Pacific Kansas City | 58.41 Bn | 58.81 Bn | 2.36 Bn | 33.99% |
| 5 | Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies | 44.40 Bn | 43.91 Bn | 1.06 Bn | 17.53% |
| 6 | Trinity Industries | 2.59 Bn | 2.65 Bn | 128.90 Mn | 20.55% |
| 7 | Greenbrier Companies | 1.46 Bn | 968.55 Mn | 69.50 Mn | 4.27% |
| 8 | Foster L B | 419.50 Mn | 416.39 Mn | 25.70 Mn | 1.69% |
| 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 | 29.25% |
| Dec 31, 2025 | 31.51% |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 35.39% |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 37.78% |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 38.29% |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 37.40% |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 52.31% |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 37.16% |
| Mar 31, 2024 | 7.09% |
| Dec 31, 2023 | 26.29% |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 25.45% |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 19.33% |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 22.70% |
| Dec 31, 2022 | 36.48% |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 38.05% |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 39.11% |
| Mar 31, 2022 | 37.22% |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 39.59% |
| Sep 30, 2021 | 39.83% |
| Jun 30, 2021 | 41.69% |
| Mar 31, 2021 | 38.46% |
| Dec 31, 2020 | 38.24% |
| Sep 30, 2020 | 33.52% |
| Jun 30, 2020 | 29.26% |
| Mar 31, 2020 | 21.64% |
| Dec 31, 2019 | 35.76% |
| Sep 30, 2019 | 35.06% |
| Jun 30, 2019 | 36.41% |
| Mar 31, 2019 | 34.01% |
| Dec 31, 2018 | 37.22% |
| Sep 30, 2018 | 34.61% |
| Jun 30, 2018 | 35.40% |
| Mar 31, 2018 | 30.73% |
| Dec 31, 2017 | 37.39% |
| Sep 30, 2017 | 33.52% |
| Jun 30, 2017 | 33.07% |
| Mar 31, 2017 | 29.40% |
| Dec 31, 2016 | 30.56% |
| Sep 30, 2016 | 32.49% |
| Jun 30, 2016 | 31.38% |
| Mar 31, 2016 | 29.88% |
| Dec 31, 2015 | 25.50% |
| Sep 30, 2015 | 30.30% |
| Jun 30, 2015 | 30.00% |
| Mar 31, 2015 | 23.61% |
| Dec 31, 2014 | 31.05% |
| Sep 30, 2014 | 33.01% |
| Jun 30, 2014 | 33.50% |
| Mar 31, 2014 | 24.80% |
| Dec 31, 2013 | 30.58% |
| Sep 30, 2013 | 30.06% |
| Jun 30, 2013 | 29.84% |
| Mar 31, 2013 | 25.24% |
| Dec 31, 2012 | 26.60% |
| Sep 30, 2012 | 27.14% |
| Jun 30, 2012 | 32.50% |
| Mar 31, 2012 | 26.71% |
| Dec 31, 2011 | 28.60% |
| Sep 30, 2011 | 32.47% |
| Jun 30, 2011 | 30.53% |
| Mar 31, 2011 | 22.90% |
| Dec 31, 2010 | 26.84% |
| Sep 30, 2010 | 30.37% |
| Jun 30, 2010 | 30.16% |
| Mar 31, 2010 | 24.80% |
| Dec 31, 2009 | 26.07% |
| Sep 30, 2009 | 27.24% |
| Jun 30, 2009 | 25.20% |
| Mar 31, 2009 | 19.71% |