Norfolk Southern (NSC) Return on Capital Employed (2009 - 2026)
Norfolk Southern (NSC) posted quarterly Return on Capital Employed of 9.67% for Q2 2026, down 286.0% year-over-year from 5.2% in Q2 2025, and down 1.03% quarter-over-quarter from 9.77% in Q1 2026.
Norfolk Southern (NSC) Return on Capital Employed (2009 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
Norfolk Southern (NSC) has reported Return on Capital Employed for 18 consecutive years, with 9.67% the latest figure, recorded in Q2 2026.
- In Q2 2026, Return on Capital Employed fell 286.0% year-over-year to 9.67%; the TTM figure through Jun 2026 stood at 9.67% (down 286.0% YoY), while the FY2025 annual figure was 10.71%, up 30.0% from the prior year.
- Return on Capital Employed retreated to 9.67% in Q2 2026 per NSC's latest filing, from 9.77% in the prior quarter.
- Across five years, Return on Capital Employed topped out at 13.19% in Q4 2022 and bottomed at 6.12% in Q1 2024.
- Historically, Return on Capital Employed has averaged 10.53% across 5 years, with a median of 10.46% in 2023.
- Annual changes were most pronounced in 2024 — Return on Capital Employed plunged 613 bps — and 2025, when it surged 630 bps.
- Norfolk Southern's Return on Capital Employed stood at 13.19% in 2022, then plunged by 44 bps to 7.39% in 2023, then soared by 38 bps to 10.2% in 2024, then increased by 4 bps to 10.59% in 2025, then retreated by 9 bps to 9.67% in 2026.
- Business Quant data shows NSC's Return on Capital Employed at 9.67% in Q2 2026, 9.77% in Q1 2026, and 10.59% in Q4 2025.
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Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | ROCE (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Union Pacific | 182.58 Bn | 180.47 Bn | 6.50 Bn | 15.69% |
| 2 | Csx | 95.72 Bn | 94.33 Bn | 3.29 Bn | 12.29% |
| 3 | Canadian Pacific Kansas City | 85.71 Bn | 85.44 Bn | 2.92 Bn | 6.84% |
| 4 | Canadian National Railway | 79.38 Bn | 79.38 Bn | - | - |
| 5 | Norfolk Southern | 78.72 Bn | 77.65 Bn | - | 9.67% |
| 6 | Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies | 50.38 Bn | 49.71 Bn | 1.16 Bn | 11.05% |
| 7 | Trinity Industries | 2.37 Bn | 2.21 Bn | 109.90 Mn | - |
| 8 | Greenbrier Companies | 1.43 Bn | 1.15 Bn | 81.10 Mn | - |
| 9 | Foster L B | 392.93 Mn | 387.15 Mn | 30.87 Mn | 9.65% |
| 10 | FreightCar America | 235.01 Mn | 170.72 Mn | - | - |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | 9.67% |
| Mar 31, 2026 | 9.77% |
| Dec 31, 2025 | 10.59% |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 11.14% |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 12.52% |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 12.42% |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 10.20% |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 9.55% |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 7.52% |
| Mar 31, 2024 | 6.12% |
| Dec 31, 2023 | 7.39% |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 8.69% |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 10.32% |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 12.25% |
| Dec 31, 2022 | 13.19% |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 13.02% |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 12.58% |
| Mar 31, 2022 | 12.62% |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 12.34% |
| Sep 30, 2021 | 11.86% |