CSX (CSX) reported $3.57 billion in revenue for the quarter ended September 2023, representing a year-over-year decline of 8.3%. EPS of $0.42 for the same period compares to $0.52 a year ago.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.25% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.56 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.42, the company has not delivered EPS surprise.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how CSX performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
- Operating Ratio: 63.8% versus 62.7% estimated by five analysts on average.
- Revenue per unit - Intermodal: $730 versus the three-analyst average estimate of $723.92.
- Volume - Rail - Automotive: 101 thousand compared to the 93.86 thousand average estimate based on three analysts.
- Volume - Rail - Merchandise - Minerals: 95 thousand compared to the 91.93 thousand average estimate based on three analysts.
- Revenue- Coal: $594 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $587.67 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -4.8%.
- Revenue- Intermodal: $517 million versus $505.78 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -14.4% change.
- Revenue- Total Merchandise- Chemicals: $646 million compared to the $641.44 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -4.7% year over year.
- Revenue- Total Merchandise- Automotive: $308 million compared to the $292.29 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +12.4% year over year.
- Revenue- Total Merchandise- Minerals: $190 million versus $182.17 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +5.6% change.
- Revenue- Total Merchandise- Forest Products: $243 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $246.15 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -8%.
- Revenue- Total Merchandise: $2.11 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $2.13 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -1.5%.
- Revenue- Total Merchandise- Fertilizers: $124 million versus $125.40 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +14.8% change.
Shares of CSX have returned -2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
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