Norfolk SouthernMEX:NSC 83 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 10.01% as of Mar. 2026, which is 19% below its 10-year median of 12.29. GuruFocus rates MEX:NSC with a GF Score™ of 83/100 and a GF Value™ of MXN4,209.99. The stock has 10 warning signs investors should review. Among 996 Transportation companies, Norfolk Southern ranks worse than 50.7% on this metric.
Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits). He defines ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % as EBIT divided by the total of Property, Plant and Equipment and net working capital. Norfolk Southern's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 10.01%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Norfolk Southern's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % or its related term are showing as below:
MEX:NSC'
s ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 9.29 Med: 12.29 Max: 15.11
Current: 11.6
During the past 13 years, Norfolk Southern's highest ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 15.11%. The lowest was 9.29%. And the median was 12.29%.
MEX:NSC's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is ranked worse than 50.7% of 996
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 11.695
vs MEX:NSC: 11.60
Norfolk Southern's 5-Year average Growth Rate of ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 0.00% per year.
The way Joel Greenblatt defines Return on Capital is a more accurate measure of how efficiently the company generates returns onthe capital actually invested in the business. EBIT is used instead of net income because the tax and interest payment may be affected by factors other than the core business operation. Intangible assets are not included in the calculation because they don't need to be replaced.
Norfolk Southern ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Related Terms
Norfolk Southern ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Norfolk Southern's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % 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.
MEX:NSC vs CSX, WAB, TRN: ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Comparison
For the Railroads subindustry, Norfolk Southern's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Norfolk Southern's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Norfolk Southern's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % falls into.
Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits) . He defines Return on Capital as follows:
EBIT stands for Earnings Before Interest and Taxes.
Fixed Assets are also known as non-current assets. They include the Property, Plant and Equipment that the firm needs in its operation.
GuruFocus calculates net working capital as: (Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Deferred Revenue + Other Current Liabilities). We're trying to account for OPERATING assets and liabilities (part of daily business) when calculating working capital. Cash and marketable securities are considered NON-OPERATING assets and are not included in calculation. We will also back out all interest bearing debt, short term debt and the portion of long term debt that is due in the current period from the current liabilities. This debt will be considered when computing cost of capital and it would be inappropriate to count it twice.
Note:
The EBIT data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBIT data.
* 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.
What does a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 10.01% mean?
Norfolk Southern (MEX:NSC) has a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 10.01% as of Mar. 2026. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on Norfolk Southern and its competitors. This is 19% below median its historical median of 12.29. Over the past decade, Norfolk Southern's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % has ranged from 9.29 to 15.11. According to the industry distribution chart, Norfolk Southern ranks #505 out of 996 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 50.7%.
Is Norfolk Southern's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % too high?
Norfolk Southern's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 10.01% is 19% below median its 10-year median of 12.29. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 9.29 to a high of 15.11. The Transportation industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 11.70. Norfolk Southern's value of 10.01% is 14.4% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Norfolk Southern ranks #505 out of 996 companies in the Transportation industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Norfolk Southern has a GF Score™ of 83/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Norfolk Southern's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % compare to CSX and WAB?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Norfolk Southern ranks #505 out of 996 companies for ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %. This places Norfolk Southern in the lower half of its industry. The industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 11.70. Norfolk Southern's value of 10.01% is 14.4% below this benchmark. Historically, Norfolk Southern's own ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % has ranged from 9.29 to 15.11 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 12.29 vs. the industry median of 11.70, Norfolk Southern has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for a Transportation company?
The median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % among Transportation companies is 11.70, based on 996 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Norfolk Southern's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 10.01% is 14.4% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % mean?
A high ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on Norfolk Southern and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 11.70 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Norfolk Southern's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 10.01%, which is 19% below median its own 10-year median of 12.29. 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?
Norfolk Southern (MEX:NSC) has a current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 10.01%. The stock's GF Value™ is MXN4,209.99, compared to a current price of MXN5,332.88 — trading 26.7% above its estimated fair value. The current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 10.01%, which is 19% below median its 10-year median of 12.29 and 14.4% below the Transportation industry median of 11.70. 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % calculated?
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Norfolk Southern (MEX:NSC), the current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 10.01% 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 (MEX:NSC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Norfolk Southern stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of MXN5,332.88 is trading 26.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of MXN4,209.99.
Key valuation signals for MEX:NSC:
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %: 10.01% (19% below median its 10-year median of 12.29)
GF Value™: MXN4,209.99 vs. price of MXN5,332.88 (26.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 14.4% below the Transportation median (#505 of 996)
No single metric tells the full story. See the MEX:NSC stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
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
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