GURUFOCUS.COM » STOCK LIST » Industrials » Transportation » Norfolk Southern Corp (NYSE:NSC) » Definitions » Degree of Financial Leverage

Norfolk Southern (Norfolk Southern) Degree of Financial Leverage : 1.18 (As of Mar. 2024)


View and export this data going back to 1982. Start your Free Trial

What is Norfolk Southern Degree of Financial Leverage?

Degree of Financial Leverage (DFL) measures the percentage change in EPS for a unit change in Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT). Norfolk Southern's Degree of Financial Leverage for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2024 was 1.18. The higher Degree of Financial Leverage, the more volatile earnings will be.

The industry rank for Norfolk Southern's Degree of Financial Leverage or its related term are showing as below:

NSC's Degree of Financial Leverage is ranked worse than
61.48% of 945 companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 1.04 vs NSC: 1.18

Norfolk Southern Degree of Financial Leverage Historical Data

The historical data trend for Norfolk Southern's Degree of Financial Leverage 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.

* Premium members only.

Norfolk Southern Degree of Financial Leverage Chart

Norfolk Southern Annual Data
Trend Dec14 Dec15 Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23
Degree of Financial Leverage
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 4.47 1.02 1.25 2.23 1.15

Norfolk Southern Quarterly Data
Jun19 Sep19 Dec19 Mar20 Jun20 Sep20 Dec20 Mar21 Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24
Degree of Financial Leverage 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 -3.14 0.71 1.16 1.15 1.18

Competitive Comparison of Norfolk Southern's Degree of Financial Leverage

For the Railroads subindustry, Norfolk Southern's Degree of Financial Leverage, along with its competitors' market caps and Degree of Financial Leverage 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's Degree of Financial Leverage Distribution in the Transportation Industry

For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Norfolk Southern's Degree of Financial Leverage distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Norfolk Southern's Degree of Financial Leverage falls into.



Norfolk Southern Degree of Financial Leverage Calculation

Norfolk Southern's Degree of Financial Leverage for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2024 is calculated as:

Degree of Financial Leverage=% Change in Earnings per Share (Diluted)**/% Change in EBIT
=( 6.21 (Mar. 2024) / 13.01 (Mar. 2023) - 1 )/( 2506 (Mar. 2024) / 4509 (Mar. 2023) - 1 )
=-0.5227/-0.4442
=1.18***

* 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.

** TTM data of EPS and EBIT was used to calculate Degree of Financial Leverage.
*** Please be aware that the Degree of Financial Leverage calculations are based on company-level data using the primary share class. The calculated data provided is for demonstration purposes and may slightly differ from the results displayed in the title due to potential variations caused by currency exchange rate differences throughout the year.


Norfolk Southern  (NYSE:NSC) Degree of Financial Leverage Explanation

Degree of Financial Leverage (DFL) is a leverage ratio that measures the sensitivity of a company’s Earnings per Share (EPS) to fluctuations in its operating income, also referred to as Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT), resulting from adjustments in its capital structure. DFL is an essential tool for companies to assess the appropriate level of debt or financial leverage in their capital structure. When EBIT remains relatively stable, it results in stable earnings and earnings per share. In such cases, the company may consider taking on substantial debt. However, for companies operating in industries with significant fluctuations in EBIT, it is advisable to keep debt at a manageable level.

The higher Degree of Financial Leverage, the more volatile earnings will be. Because interest is a fixed expense, leverage can amplify earnings and EPS. This is beneficial when EBIT is growing, but it can become problematic in tough economic conditions when EBIT is under pressure.

Be Aware

The use of financial leverage varies across different industries and business sectors, and the application of Degree of Financial Leverage (DFL) should be adjusted accordingly.


Norfolk Southern Degree of Financial Leverage Related Terms

Thank you for viewing the detailed overview of Norfolk Southern's Degree of Financial Leverage provided by GuruFocus.com. Please click on the following links to see related term pages.


Norfolk Southern (Norfolk Southern) Business Description

Address
650 West Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, GA, USA, 30308
Class-I railroad Norfolk Southern operates in the Eastern United States. On more than 20,000 miles of track, the firm hauls shipments of coal, intermodal traffic, and a diverse mix of automobile, agriculture, metal, chemical, and forest products.
Executives
Phillip S Davidson director 825 TOWN & COUNTRY LANE, SUITE 1500, HOUSTON TX 77024
Francesca A. Debiase director MCDONALD'S CORPORATION, 110 NORTH CARPENTER STREET, CHICAGO IL 60607
Alan H. Shaw officer: EVP & Chief Marketing Officer 650 W PEACHTREE ST NW, ATLANTA GA 30308
Paul B Duncan officer: EVP & Chief Operating Officer 650 W PEACHTREE ST NW, ATLANTA GA 30308
James A Squires officer: Sr. V.P. - Law 650 W PEACHTREE ST NW, ATLANTA GA 30308
Steven F Leer director USG CORPORATION, 125 SOUTH FRANKLIN STREET, CHICAGO IL 60606
Nabanita C Nag officer: SVP and Chief Legal Officer 650 W PEACHTREE ST NW, ATLANTA GA 30308
Claiborne L Moore officer: Vice President and Controller 650 W PEACHTREE ST NW, ATLANTA GA 30308
Lorri J Kleine officer: SVP & Chief Legal Officer 650 W PEACHTREE ST NW, ATLANTA GA 30308
Claude E Elkins officer: EVP & Chief Marketing Officer 650 W. PEACHTREE ST, NW, ATLANTA GA 30308
Allison Clyde H Jr officer: Vice President and Controller 650 W PEACHTREE ST NW, ATLANTA GA 30308
Ann A Adams officer: EVP-Chief Transform. Officer 650 W PEACHTREE ST NW, ATLANTA GA 30308
Cynthia M Sanborn officer: EVP & Chief Operating Officer 650 W PEACHTREE ST NW, ATLANTA GA 30308
Michael Joseph Wheeler officer: Sr. Vice President Operations THREE COMMERCIAL PLACE, 13TH FLOOR, NORFOLK VA 23510
Christopher T Jones director 2980 FAIRVIEW PARK DRIVE, FALLS CHURCH VA 22042