CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) Given New $40.00 Price Target at BMO Capital Markets

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) had its price target decreased by BMO Capital Markets from $41.00 to $40.00 in a report published on Thursday morning,MarketScreener reports. BMO Capital Markets currently has a market perform rating on the transportation company’s stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of CSX from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Evercore downgraded CSX from an “outperform” rating to an “in-line” rating and set a $41.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of CSX in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on CSX from $42.50 to $45.50 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on CSX from $42.00 to $41.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CSX has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $40.94.

CSX Stock Performance

CSX stock opened at $41.22 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $40.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $37.18. The company has a market capitalization of $76.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.77, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. CSX has a fifty-two week low of $26.22 and a fifty-two week high of $43.35.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.41 by ($0.02). CSX had a net margin of 20.50% and a return on equity of 23.88%. The company had revenue of $3.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.42 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that CSX will post 1.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CSX Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. This is an increase from CSX’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. CSX’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Diana B. Sorfleet sold 90,000 shares of CSX stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.56, for a total value of $3,740,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 165,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,882,876.28. This trade represents a 35.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Stephen Fortune sold 31,456 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.65, for a total transaction of $1,215,774.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 82,034 shares in the company, valued at $3,170,614.10. This represents a 27.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 188,123 shares of company stock worth $7,454,854. Company insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CSX

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CSX. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in shares of CSX by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 16,254 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $525,000 after buying an additional 849 shares in the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CSX during the second quarter valued at $25,000. SVB Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in CSX in the 2nd quarter worth about $807,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S lifted its stake in CSX by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 74,410 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,428,000 after acquiring an additional 2,281 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in CSX during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. 73.57% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting CSX

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its price target to $45.50 and kept a Buy rating, implying near-term upside (~9.8%) and offering bullish analyst support for the stock. Rothschild raises CSX price target
• Positive Sentiment: A Sanford C. Bernstein analyst published commentary expecting CSX shares to rise, reinforcing a constructive view on the stock from at least one sell‑side voice. Sanford Bernstein expects CSX to rise
• Neutral Sentiment: Bernstein updated its rail-sector view and nudged its CSX price target to $39 (from $36) but maintained a Market Perform (hold) rating — a modest target lift without a change in stance, so limited catalytic impact. Bernstein lifts CSX price target to $39
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and pieces from Zacks/Yahoo are flagging CSX’s higher valuation and asking whether investors should retain shares — useful context for longer‑term positioning but not an immediate catalyst. Zacks: Should investors retain CSX?
• Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets trimmed its CSX price target to $40 (from $41) and left a Market Perform rating, signaling a small downside bias and adding downward pressure on sentiment. BMO lowers CSX price target to $40
• Negative Sentiment: A local news report of a crash involving a CSX train in Dayton (driver fled the scene) introduces a short‑term operational/safety headline that can pressure sentiment despite likely limited financial impact. Crash involving CSX train in Dayton

About CSX

CSX Corporation is a leading North American transportation company that provides rail-based freight services and supply-chain solutions. Its operating subsidiary, CSX Transportation, moves a wide range of goods for customers across multiple industries, using a combination of long-haul rail service, intermodal operations and terminal and yard services. The company focuses on delivering efficient, reliable freight transportation between major production centers, consumption markets and port gateways.

CSX’s freight portfolio includes intermodal containers and trailers, bulk commodities, industrial products and specialized unit trains.