CSX Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:CSX)

CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX) was the target of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Traders acquired 21,889 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 225% compared to the average daily volume of 6,726 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on shares of CSX from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Susquehanna reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $39.00 price target on shares of CSX in a report on Friday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of CSX from $43.00 to $41.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of CSX in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wolfe Research upped their price objective on shares of CSX from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $40.60.

Insider Activity at CSX

In related news, EVP Stephen Fortune sold 31,456 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.65, for a total transaction of $1,215,774.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 82,034 shares in the company, valued at $3,170,614.10. This represents a 27.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Stephen F. Angel bought 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $40.27 per share, for a total transaction of $1,006,750.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 146,540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,901,165.80. The trade was a 20.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 188,123 shares of company stock worth $7,454,854 in the last 90 days. 0.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CSX

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Syon Capital LLC increased its holdings in CSX by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 28,316 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,026,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in CSX by 7.3% in the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 4,757 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $172,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares during the last quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in CSX by 4.1% in the third quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,324 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $296,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares in the last quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of CSX by 2.7% during the third quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC now owns 13,048 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $463,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of CSX by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,235 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $480,000 after purchasing an additional 346 shares during the last quarter. 73.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CSX Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CSX opened at $39.55 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.68, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.27. CSX has a one year low of $26.22 and a one year high of $43.35. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $39.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $36.89. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.41 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $3.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.59 billion. CSX had a return on equity of 23.88% and a net margin of 20.50%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.42 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that CSX will post 1.83 EPS for the current year.

CSX Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a dividend of $0.14 per share. This is a positive change from CSX’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. CSX’s dividend payout ratio is 36.36%.

Trending Headlines about CSX

Here are the key news stories impacting CSX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target to $43 and kept an “Outperform” rating, signaling analyst confidence and implying upside from current levels. RBC Raises Price Target on CSX to $43
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call-option activity: investors bought ~21,889 CSX call contracts (about a 225% jump vs. average), which indicates short-term bullish positioning or hedging by sophisticated traders and can add upward pressure if positions are delta-hedged.
• Neutral Sentiment: Preview of Q1 results: Analysts’ Q1 expectations and management commentary will be the focus at the next report — Barchart’s preview highlights where analysts are watching revenue, pricing, and volumes. Investors may trade on any surprise to guidance or execution. What to Expect From CSX Corporation’s Next Quarterly Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/technical note: Recent coverage flags short-term price weakness (month-to-month decline) but solid YTD and 1‑year total returns; valuations and DCF analyses are being debated, so some investors may be re-evaluating target returns. A Look At CSX Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Local industry developments: A transload provider is restarting dormant Maine rail lines, which is a modest regional tailwind for freight activity but unlikely to move CSX materially near-term. Transload Provider Bringing New Life to Dormant Maine Rail Lines
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/sector caution: A recent piece flags some Industrials names for closer scrutiny; sector sentiment can amplify CSX moves but the impact depends on macro freight demand. 3 Industrials Stocks We Think Twice About
• Negative Sentiment: Evercore ISI downgraded CSX from Outperform to In Line (while nudging its target to $41), a ratings change that can reduce buy-side conviction even though the price target moved slightly higher — this is a headwind for sentiment. Evercore ISI Downgrades CSX to In Line

About CSX

CSX Corporation is a leading North American transportation company that provides rail-based freight services and supply-chain solutions. Its operating subsidiary, CSX Transportation, moves a wide range of goods for customers across multiple industries, using a combination of long-haul rail service, intermodal operations and terminal and yard services. The company focuses on delivering efficient, reliable freight transportation between major production centers, consumption markets and port gateways.

CSX’s freight portfolio includes intermodal containers and trailers, bulk commodities, industrial products and specialized unit trains.