Norfolk Southern Corporate Bonds and Leverage Analysis

NSC Stock  USD 268.95  4.69  1.77%   
Norfolk Southern holds a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.197. At present, Norfolk Southern's Net Debt is projected to increase significantly based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Debt To Equity is expected to grow to 1.41, whereas Short Term Debt is forecasted to decline to about 103.5 M. With a high degree of financial leverage come high-interest payments, which usually reduce Norfolk Southern's Earnings Per Share (EPS).

Asset vs Debt

Equity vs Debt

Norfolk Southern's liquidity is one of the most fundamental aspects of both its future profitability and its ability to meet different types of ongoing financial obligations. Norfolk Southern's cash, liquid assets, total liabilities, and shareholder equity can be utilized to evaluate how much leverage the Company is using to sustain its current operations. For traders, higher-leverage indicators usually imply a higher risk to shareholders. In addition, it helps Norfolk Stock's retail investors understand whether an upcoming fall or rise in the market will negatively affect Norfolk Southern's stakeholders.
For most companies, including Norfolk Southern, marketable securities, inventories, and receivables are the most common assets that could be converted to cash. However, for Norfolk Southern, the most critical issue when managing liquidity is ensuring that current assets are properly aligned with current liabilities. If they are not, Norfolk Southern's management will need to obtain alternative financing to ensure there are always enough cash equivalents on the balance sheet to meet obligations.
Price Book
4.414
Book Value
60.931
Operating Margin
0.4989
Profit Margin
0.1985
Return On Assets
0.0677
The current year's Change To Liabilities is expected to grow to about 46.1 M, whereas Total Current Liabilities is forecasted to decline to about 2 B.
  
Check out the analysis of Norfolk Southern Fundamentals Over Time.
For information on how to trade Norfolk Stock refer to our How to Trade Norfolk Stock guide.
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Given the importance of Norfolk Southern's capital structure, the first step in the capital decision process is for the management of Norfolk Southern to decide how much external capital it will need to raise to operate in a sustainable way. Once the amount of financing is determined, management needs to examine the financial markets to determine the terms in which the company can boost capital. This move is crucial to the process because the market environment may reduce the ability of Norfolk Southern to issue bonds at a reasonable cost.

Norfolk Southern Bond Ratings

Norfolk Southern financial ratings play a critical role in determining how much Norfolk Southern have to pay to access credit markets, i.e., the amount of interest on their issued debt. The threshold between investment-grade and speculative-grade ratings has important market implications for Norfolk Southern's borrowing costs.
Piotroski F Score
6
HealthyView
Beneish M Score
(3.36)
Unlikely ManipulatorView

Norfolk Southern Debt to Cash Allocation

As Norfolk Southern follows its natural business cycle, the capital allocation decisions will not magically go away. Norfolk Southern's decision-makers have to determine if most of the cash flows will be poured back into or reinvested in the business, reserved for other projects beyond operational needs, or paid back to stakeholders and investors.
Norfolk Southern has 17.57 B in debt with debt to equity (D/E) ratio of 1.2, which is OK given its current industry classification. Norfolk Southern has a current ratio of 0.95, suggesting that it has not enough short term capital to pay financial commitments when the payables are due. Note however, debt could still be an excellent tool for Norfolk to invest in growth at high rates of return.

Norfolk Southern Total Assets Over Time

Norfolk Southern Assets Financed by Debt

The debt-to-assets ratio shows the degree to which Norfolk Southern uses debt to finance its assets. It includes both long-term and short-term borrowings maturing within one year. It also includes both tangible and intangible assets, such as goodwill.

Norfolk Southern Debt Ratio

    
  21.0   
It looks as if most of the Norfolk Southern's assets are financed through equity. Typically, companies with high debt-to-asset ratios are said to be highly leveraged. The higher the ratio, the greater risk will be associated with the Norfolk Southern's operation. In addition, a high debt-to-assets ratio may indicate a low borrowing capacity of Norfolk Southern, which in turn will lower the firm's financial flexibility.

Norfolk Southern Corporate Bonds Issued

Most Norfolk bonds can be classified according to their maturity, which is the date when Norfolk Southern has to pay back the principal to investors. Maturities can be short-term, medium-term, or long-term (more than ten years). Longer-term bonds usually offer higher interest rates but may entail additional risks.

Norfolk Short Long Term Debt Total

Short Long Term Debt Total

18.45 Billion

At present, Norfolk Southern's Short and Long Term Debt Total is projected to increase significantly based on the last few years of reporting.

Understaning Norfolk Southern Use of Financial Leverage

Norfolk Southern's financial leverage ratio helps determine the effect of debt on the overall profitability of the company. It measures Norfolk Southern's total debt position, including all outstanding debt obligations, and compares it with Norfolk Southern's equity. Financial leverage can amplify the potential profits to Norfolk Southern's owners, but it also increases the potential losses and risk of financial distress, including bankruptcy, if Norfolk Southern is unable to cover its debt costs.
Last ReportedProjected for Next Year
Short and Long Term Debt Total17.6 B18.4 B
Net Debt16 B16.8 B
Short Term Debt109 M103.5 M
Long Term Debt17.2 B10 B
Long Term Debt Total16.7 B11 B
Short and Long Term DebtM3.8 M
Net Debt To EBITDA 2.97  2.32 
Debt To Equity 1.34  1.41 
Interest Debt Per Share 78.89  82.84 
Debt To Assets 0.41  0.21 
Long Term Debt To Capitalization 0.57  0.30 
Total Debt To Capitalization 0.57  0.32 
Debt Equity Ratio 1.34  1.41 
Debt Ratio 0.41  0.21 
Cash Flow To Debt Ratio 0.19  0.18 
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When determining whether Norfolk Southern offers a strong return on investment in its stock, a comprehensive analysis is essential. The process typically begins with a thorough review of Norfolk Southern's financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements, to assess its financial health. Key financial ratios are used to gauge profitability, efficiency, and growth potential of Norfolk Southern Stock. Outlined below are crucial reports that will aid in making a well-informed decision on Norfolk Southern Stock:
Check out the analysis of Norfolk Southern Fundamentals Over Time.
For information on how to trade Norfolk Stock refer to our How to Trade Norfolk Stock guide.
You can also try the Money Managers module to screen money managers from public funds and ETFs managed around the world.
Is Ground Transportation space expected to grow? Or is there an opportunity to expand the business' product line in the future? Factors like these will boost the valuation of Norfolk Southern. If investors know Norfolk will grow in the future, the company's valuation will be higher. The financial industry is built on trying to define current growth potential and future valuation accurately. All the valuation information about Norfolk Southern listed above have to be considered, but the key to understanding future value is determining which factors weigh more heavily than others.
Quarterly Earnings Growth
1.31
Dividend Share
5.4
Earnings Share
10.65
Revenue Per Share
53.858
Quarterly Revenue Growth
0.027
The market value of Norfolk Southern is measured differently than its book value, which is the value of Norfolk that is recorded on the company's balance sheet. Investors also form their own opinion of Norfolk Southern's value that differs from its market value or its book value, called intrinsic value, which is Norfolk Southern's true underlying value. Investors use various methods to calculate intrinsic value and buy a stock when its market value falls below its intrinsic value. Because Norfolk Southern's market value can be influenced by many factors that don't directly affect Norfolk Southern's underlying business (such as a pandemic or basic market pessimism), market value can vary widely from intrinsic value.
Please note, there is a significant difference between Norfolk Southern's value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if Norfolk Southern is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, Norfolk Southern's price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.

What is Financial Leverage?

Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money (debt) to finance the purchase of assets with the expectation that the income or capital gain from the new asset will exceed the cost of borrowing. In most cases, the debt provider will limit how much risk it is ready to take and indicate a limit on the extent of the leverage it will allow. In the case of asset-backed lending, the financial provider uses the assets as collateral until the borrower repays the loan. In the case of a cash flow loan, the general creditworthiness of the company is used to back the loan. The concept of leverage is common in the business world. It is mostly used to boost the returns on equity capital of a company, especially when the business is unable to increase its operating efficiency and returns on total investment. Because earnings on borrowing are higher than the interest payable on debt, the company's total earnings will increase, ultimately boosting stockholders' profits.

Leverage and Capital Costs

The debt to equity ratio plays a role in the working average cost of capital (WACC). The overall interest on debt represents the break-even point that must be obtained to profitability in a given venture. Thus, WACC is essentially the average interest an organization owes on the capital it has borrowed for leverage. Let's say equity represents 60% of borrowed capital, and debt is 40%. This results in a financial leverage calculation of 40/60, or 0.6667. The organization owes 10% on all equity and 5% on all debt. That means that the weighted average cost of capital is (.4)(5) + (.6)(10) - or 8%. For every $10,000 borrowed, this organization will owe $800 in interest. Profit must be higher than 8% on the project to offset the cost of interest and justify this leverage.

Benefits of Financial Leverage

Leverage provides the following benefits for companies:
  • Leverage is an essential tool a company's management can use to make the best financing and investment decisions.
  • It provides a variety of financing sources by which the firm can achieve its target earnings.
  • Leverage is also an essential technique in investing as it helps companies set a threshold for the expansion of business operations. For example, it can be used to recommend restrictions on business expansion once the projected return on additional investment is lower than the cost of debt.
By borrowing funds, the firm incurs a debt that must be paid. But, this debt is paid in small installments over a relatively long period of time. This frees funds for more immediate use in the stock market. For example, suppose a company can afford a new factory but will be left with negligible free cash. In that case, it may be better to finance the factory and spend the cash on hand on inputs, labor, or even hold a significant portion as a reserve against unforeseen circumstances.

The Risk of Financial Leverage

The most obvious and apparent risk of leverage is that if price changes unexpectedly, the leveraged position can lead to severe losses. For example, imagine a hedge fund seeded by $50 worth of investor money. The hedge fund borrows another $50 and buys an asset worth $100, leading to a leverage ratio of 2:1. For the investor, this is neither good nor bad -- until the asset price changes. If the asset price goes up 10 percent, the investor earns $10 on $50 of capital, a net gain of 20 percent, and is very pleased with the increased gains from the leverage. However, if the asset price crashes unexpectedly, say by 30 percent, the investor loses $30 on $50 of capital, suffering a 60 percent loss. In other words, the effect of leverage is to increase the volatility of returns and increase the effects of a price change on the asset to the bottom line while increasing the chance for profit as well.