NSC Stock — Norfolk Southern Corp.

Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC)

Updated October 16, 2026.

NSC is a Stock. its distribution rate is 1.65%, its trailing-12-month yield is 1.65%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 100/100 (Safe). Total return is 23253.1% over the past 44.4 years.

Norfolk Southern Corporation operates a major U.S. railroad business, transporting raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods including agriculture, chemicals, metals, automotive products, and coal, along with intermodal freight services through coastal ports. The company pays a modest current distribution rate on a quarterly basis. Norfolk Southern appeals to income investors seeking exposure to the transportation and logistics sector with regular dividend payments.

NSC performance

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 23253.1% over the past 44.4 years. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 15.3%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 12.5%.

NSC key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

100 · Safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

1.65%

Asset type

Stock

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

06/02/1982

Distribution rate

1.65%

Distribution frequency

Quarterly

Trailing yield

1.65%

5-year average yield

2.0

Last close

$326.92 (stale; as of 2026-10-16)

Market cap

$73,428,969,301

Average volume

745500.0

Dividend

$1.35

Ex-dividend date

08/07/2026

Payment date

08/20/2026

Beta

1.283

Payout ratio

42.5%

P/E ratio

27.89

Forward P/E

22.3214

EPS

$11.72

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (1.65%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (1.65%) is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

NSC risks and drawbacks

NSC's current distribution rate is moderate, not a high-yield payout — the strategy is dividend quality more than maximum income. Payments are quarterly, so cash flow is lumpy versus a monthly fund. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 12.5%.

Who may consider NSC — and who may not

NSC may suit someone looking for a high Distribution Safety Score. It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (NSC pays quarterly); investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

More on NSC

• All tickers starting with N

Tagged: Dividend.

Frequently asked questions