Norfolk Southern (HAM:NFS) Graham Number: €121.09 (As of Mar. 2026) — 7108% Above Median

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Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
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Founder & CEO of GuruFocus
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.

HAM:NFS Norfolk Southern Corp HAM:NFS
83 GF Score
Price €285.80
GF Value €223.30
Valuation Modestly Overvalued
! 10 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is Norfolk Southern Graham Number?

Norfolk Southern HAM:NFS +0.07% 83 Graham Number is €121.09 as of Mar. 2026, which is 100% below its 10-year median of 1.68. GuruFocus rates HAM:NFS with a GF Score™ of 83/100 and a GF Value™ of €223.30 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 10 warning signs investors should review. Among 742 Transportation companies, Norfolk Southern ranks worse than 83.96% on this metric.

Graham Number is a figure that measures a stock's fundamental value by taking into account the company's earnings per share and book value per share. The Graham number is the upper bound of the price range that a defensive investor should pay for the stock. According to the theory, any stock price below the Graham number is considered undervalued, and thus worth investing in.

As of today (2026-07-14), the stock price of Norfolk Southern is €285.80. Norfolk Southern's graham number for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was €121.09. Therefore, Norfolk Southern's Price to Graham Number ratio for today is 2.36.

The historical rank and industry rank for Norfolk Southern's Graham Number or its related term are showing as below:

HAM:NFS' s Price-to-Graham-Number Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.85   Med: 1.68   Max: 2.41
Current: 2.33

During the past 13 years, the highest Price to Graham Number ratio of Norfolk Southern was 2.41. The lowest was 0.85. And the median was 1.68.

HAM:NFS's Price-to-Graham-Number is ranked worse than
83.96% of 742 companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 1.015 vs HAM:NFS: 2.33

Graham Number is a combination of asset valuation and earnings power valuation. It is a very conservative way of valuing a stock.


Norfolk Southern  (HAM:NFS) Graham Number Explanation

Ben Graham actually did not publish a formula like this. But he wrote in The Intelligent Investor (1948 version) regarding to the criteria for purchases:

Current price should not be more than 15 times average earnings of the past three years.

Current price should not be more than 1.5 times the book value last reported. However, a multiplier of earnings below 15 could justify a correspondingly higher multiplier of assets. As a rule of thumb we suggest that the product of the multiplier times the ratio of price to book value should not exceed 22.5. (This figure corresponds to 15 times earnings and 1.5 times book value. It would admit an issue selling at only 9 times earnings and 2.5 times asset value, etc.)

Unlike valuation methods such as DCF or Discounted Earnings, the Graham number does not take growth into the valuation. Unlike the valuation methods based on book value alone, it takes into account the earnings power. Therefore, the Graham Number is a combination of asset valuation and earnings power valuation.

In general, the Graham number is a very conservative way of valuing a stock. It cannot be applied to companies with negative book values.

Norfolk Southern's Price to Graham number Ratio for today is calculated as

Price to Graham number=Share Price (Today)/Graham number (Q: Mar. 2026 )
=285.80/121.09
=2.36

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.


Be Aware

Please keep these in mind:

1. Graham Number does not take growth into account. Therefore it underestimates the values of the companies that have good earnings growth. We feel that if the earnings per share grows more than 10% a year, Graham Number underestimates the value.
2. Graham Number punishes the companies that have temporarily low earnings. Therefore, an average of earnings makes more sense in the calculation of Graham Number.
3. Graham Numbers underestimates companies that are light with book.


Norfolk Southern Graham Number Related Terms


Norfolk Southern Graham Number Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Norfolk Southern's Graham Number can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Norfolk Southern Graham Number Chart

Norfolk Southern Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Graham Number
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 112.18 129.78 112.16 123.98 119.16

Norfolk Southern Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Graham Number Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 122.28 119.78 119.58 120.47 121.09

HAM:NFS vs CSX, WAB, TRN: Graham Number Comparison

For the Railroads subindustry, Norfolk Southern's Price-to-Graham-Number, along with its competitors' market caps and Price-to-Graham-Number data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Norfolk Southern Price-to-Graham-Number vs Transportation Industry

For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Norfolk Southern's Price-to-Graham-Number distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Norfolk Southern's Price-to-Graham-Number falls into.


HAM:NFS
83GF Score
Norfolk Southern Corp HAM:NFS
Graham Number is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Norfolk Southern Graham Number Calculation

Graham Number is a concept based on Ben Graham's conservative valuation of companies.

Norfolk Southern's Graham Number for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as

Graham Number
=sqrt of (22.5* Tangible Book per Share *EPS without NRI)
=sqrt of (22.5*59.162*10.666)
=119.16

Norfolk Southern's Graham Number for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as

Graham Number
=sqrt of (22.5*Tangible Book per Share*EPS without NRI (TTM))
=sqrt of (22.5*60.867*10.706)
=121.09

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Graham Number →
What does a Graham Number of €121.09 mean?
Norfolk Southern (HAM:NFS) has a Graham Number of €121.09 as of Mar. 2026. The Graham Number values a company based on its per-share earnings and book value. View historical data on Norfolk Southern and its competitors. This is 7108% above median its historical median of 1.68. Over the past decade, Norfolk Southern's Graham Number has ranged from 0.85 to 2.41. According to the industry distribution chart, Norfolk Southern ranks #623 out of 742 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 84%.
Is Norfolk Southern's Graham Number too high?
Norfolk Southern's current Graham Number of €121.09 is 7108% above median its 10-year median of 1.68. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.85 to a high of 2.41. Based on the distribution chart, Norfolk Southern ranks #623 out of 742 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Norfolk Southern has a GF Score™ of 83/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Norfolk Southern's Graham Number compare to CSX and WAB?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Norfolk Southern ranks #623 out of 742 companies for Graham Number. This places Norfolk Southern in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Graham Number is 1.02. Historically, Norfolk Southern's own Graham Number has ranged from 0.85 to 2.41 over the past decade. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Graham Number for a Transportation company?
The median Graham Number among Transportation companies is 1.02, based on 742 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Graham Number significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Graham Number should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Graham Number mean?
A high Graham Number can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Graham Number values a company based on its per-share earnings and book value. View historical data on Norfolk Southern and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median Graham Number is 1.02 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Norfolk Southern's current Graham Number is €121.09, which is 7108% above median its own 10-year median of 1.68. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Norfolk Southern stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Norfolk Southern (HAM:NFS) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €223.30, compared to a current price of €285.80 — trading 28% above its estimated fair value. The current Graham Number is €121.09, which is 7108% above median its 10-year median of 1.68. Norfolk Southern's overall GF Score™ is 83/100 with 10 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Graham Number calculated?
Graham Number is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Norfolk Southern (HAM:NFS), the current Graham Number is €121.09 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Norfolk Southern (HAM:NFS) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Norfolk Southern stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of €285.80 is trading 28% above its estimated GF Value™ of €223.30. GuruFocus considers Norfolk Southern to be Modestly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for HAM:NFS:

  • Graham Number: €121.09 (7108% above median its 10-year median of 1.68)
  • GF Value™: €223.30 vs. price of €285.80 (28% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 83/100 with 10 warning signs

No single metric tells the full story. See the HAM:NFS stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Norfolk Southern Business Description

Address 650 West Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, GA, USA, 30308-1925
Class I railroad Norfolk Southern operates in the Eastern United States. On more than 20,000 miles of track, the rail hauls shipments of coal, intermodal traffic, and a diverse mix of automotive, agricultural, metal, chemical, and forest products.
83GF Score

Get the complete analysis for HAM:NFS

Graham Number is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

€285.80
Price
€223.30
GF Value