Analysts on Wall Street project that Norfolk Southern (NSC Quick QuoteNSC - Free Report) will announce quarterly earnings of $2.90 per share in its forthcoming report, representing a decline of 15.2% year over year. Revenues are projected to reach $3.11 billion, declining 3.9% from the same quarter last year.

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This reflects how the analysts covering the stock have collectively reevaluated their initial estimates during this timeframe.

Ahead of a company's earnings disclosure, it is crucial to give due consideration to changes in earnings estimates. These revisions serve as a noteworthy factor in predicting potential investor reactions to the stock. Numerous empirical studies consistently demonstrate a strong relationship between trends in earnings estimate revision and the short-term price performance of a stock.

While investors typically use consensus earnings and revenue estimates as a yardstick to evaluate the company's quarterly performance, scrutinizing analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics can offer a more comprehensive perspective.

Given this perspective, it's time to examine the average forecasts of specific Norfolk Southern metrics that are routinely monitored and predicted by Wall Street analysts.

The consensus among analysts is that 'Railway operating revenues- Merchandise- Agriculture, Forest and Consumer Products' will reach $647.38 million. The estimate indicates a change of -1% from the prior-year quarter.

Analysts expect 'Railway operating revenues- Coal' to come in at $438.54 million. The estimate indicates a change of -2.1% from the prior-year quarter.

According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Railway operating revenues- Merchandise- Chemicals' should come in at $522.85 million. The estimate points to a change of -1% from the year-ago quarter.

The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'Railway operating revenues- Intermodal' of $809.62 million. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -11.3%.

The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'Railway Operating Ratio' will likely reach 67.0%. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 63.5% in the same quarter of the previous year.

Analysts' assessment points toward 'Carloads (Units) - Volume - Merchandise' reaching 560.49 thousand. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 557.8 thousand in the same quarter of the previous year.

Analysts predict that the 'Carloads (Units) - Volume - Intermodal' will reach 1,014.83 thousand. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of 967.4 thousand.

Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Revenue per Carload (Unit) - Total' should arrive at $1,791.51. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of $1,910.

It is projected by analysts that the 'Revenue per Carload (Unit) - Coal' will reach $2,554.31. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of $2,636.

Analysts forecast 'Revenue per Carload (Unit) - Merchandise' to reach $3,347.52. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $3,363 in the same quarter of the previous year.

The consensus estimate for 'Revenue per Carload (Unit) - Intermodal' stands at $791.55. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported $944 in the same quarter last year.

The average prediction of analysts places 'Carloads (Units) - Volume - Total' at 1,747.36 thousand. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of 1,695.1 thousand.

View all Key Company Metrics for Norfolk Southern here>>>

Over the past month, shares of Norfolk Southern have returned +2.6% versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.1% change. Currently, NSC carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), suggesting that its performance may align with the overall market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>