CSX CorpCSXCOMMENTDec 05, 2013Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 05, 2026. Market Open.
It broke out last December. After consolidating, it's breaking out again. For traders, he likes $43, the rising 50-day average, at a minimum will lock in a gain but allow you to stay in the stock long enough. For investors, $43-44 is support and will take out $47. There's earnings growth. Will pass $50.
The market is speculating if CSX will merge with another railroad, but CS has only 3 years under this president to do it, since another president likely won't give that much latitude to an already-concentrated industry. And the Norfolk Southern-Union Pacific is hitting speed bumps. He wouldn't buy CSX based on takeover speculation, but on improving business. Yesterday's quarter: a modest top and bottom line miss, but strong operating metrics and a 1% YOY volume increase and offered a positive full-year forecast including revenue growth and operating margin expansion. CSX will do fine in a stagnant economy and be a big winner if the economy picks up.
This railway had the biggest exposure to coal. There has really been a slowdown in coal production and shipments, so the company had some fairly significant damage. Recently the whole sector has tended to trade off a little bit. He prefers Union Pacific (UNP-N) whose volumes are more diversified. As a category, these railways are not cheap but they tend to reward shareholders every year with a dividend increase.