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Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) Total Return Calculator with Dividends Reinvested

Norfolk Southern Corporation

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The total return for Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) stock is +42.89% over the past 12 months. So far it's up 9.42% this year. The 5-year total return is +18.20%, meaning $10,000 invested in NSC stock 5 years ago would be worth $11,820 today. Total return includes price appreciation plus reinvesting any dividends paid out.

If you invested $10,000 in NSC 1 year ago, it would be worth $14,716 today — you'd have gained $4,716 with dividends reinvested.

With Dividends Reinvested$14,716+47.16%

Price Only (No DRIP)$14,511+45.11%

Dividend Boost+$2053 payments · +2.05% extra

Period2025-05-06 → 2026-05-06

Price

Total Return (DRIP)

Dividends

S&P 500

If You Invested $10,000 in NSC

1Y$14,289+$4,289 (+42.9%)42.9% CAGR

3Y$15,735+$5,735 (+57.3%)16.3% CAGR

5Y$11,820+$1,820 (+18.2%)3.4% CAGR

10Y$39,827+$29,827 (+298.3%)14.8% CAGR

15Y$50,602+$40,602 (+406.0%)11.4% CAGR

20Y$66,113+$56,113 (+561.1%)9.9% CAGR

30Y$134,098+$124,098 (+1241.0%)9.0% CAGR

Dividend Reinvestment History (3)▲ Hide

Ex-Date	Dividend	Reinvest Price	Shares Added
2025-08-01	$1.35	$274.85	+0.004912
2025-11-07	$1.35	$284.25	+0.004773
2026-02-06	$1.35	$306.48	+0.004448

Loading NSC total return...

As of 2026-05-06

Returns at a Glance

Period	Total Return	CAGR	Price Only	Div. Contrib.	$10K →
YTD	+9.42%	—	+8.95%	+0.47 pp	$10,942
1Y	+42.89%	42.89%	+41.07%	+1.82 pp	$14,289
3Y	+57.35%	16.31%	+50.23%	+7.11 pp	$15,735
5Y	+18.20%	3.40%	+9.25%	+8.95 pp	$11,820
10Y	+298.27%	14.82%	+252.52%	+45.74 pp	$39,827
15Y	+406.02%	11.42%	+334.19%	+71.84 pp	$50,602
20Y	+561.13%	9.90%	+457.96%	+103.17 pp	$66,113
30Y	+1240.98%	9.04%	+1015.12%	+225.87 pp	$134,098

Risk & Highlights

Best Year+51.23%2004

Worst Year-35.04%1999

Max Drawdown-12.47%2026-03-04 → 2026-03-19 · Recovered 2026-04-23

Annual Returns

Year	Total Return	Price Return	Div.	S&P 500	vs S&P
2026YTD	+9.82%	+9.35%	+0.5pp	+0.41%	+9.4pp
2025	+25.37%	+23.07%	+2.3pp	+16.64%	+8.7pp
2024	+1.88%	-0.41%	+2.3pp	+24.00%	-22.1pp
2023	-2.39%	-4.57%	+2.2pp	+24.81%	-27.2pp
2022	-14.01%	-15.71%	+1.7pp	-19.95%	+5.9pp

NSC outperformed the S&P 500 by 14.45pp over the past year (+42.89% vs +28.44%).

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NSC Peers' Total Return

Accurate peer set · 10 comparable names

Name	Mkt Cap	30D Rtn	YTD Total Rtn	1Y Total Rtn	Div Contrib	3Y Total Rtn	5Y Total Rtn	10Y Total Rtn
NSCNorfolk Southern Corporation	$70.4B	+8.9%	+9.4%	+42.9%	+1.8pp	+57.3%	+18.2%	+298.3%
CSXCSX Corporation	$83.7B	+8.6%	+24.5%	+60.0%	+1.9pp	+46.0%	+40.2%	+462.0%
UNPUnion Pacific Corporation	$156.7B	+7.5%	+14.4%	+24.5%	+2.5pp	+39.1%	+29.6%	+258.6%
CPCanadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd.	$75.0B	+5.0%	+12.4%	+13.8%	+0.9pp	+5.3%	+13.1%	+216.2%
WABWestinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation	$44.7B	+3.7%	+21.9%	+38.6%	+0.6pp	+168.3%	+229.3%	+237.8%
RAILFreightCar America, Inc.	$246M	-8.6%	-29.4%	+23.5%	—	+169.9%	+19.7%	-40.6%
TRNTrinity Industries, Inc.	$2.9B	+11.3%	+35.4%	+50.2%	+4.9pp	+82.6%	+43.7%	+247.7%
UPSUnited Parcel Service, Inc.	$83.3B	+0.9%	-1.3%	+9.5%	+6.9pp	-33.1%	-40.1%	+43.5%
FDXFedEx Corporation	$85.3B	+1.1%	+24.2%	+69.8%	+2.7pp	+65.3%	+26.2%	+148.2%
CATCaterpillar Inc.	$420.9B	+25.4%	+51.7%	+181.8%	+1.9pp	+328.4%	+291.3%	+1203.2%
GEGE Aerospace	$299.5B	-0.7%	-10.5%	+37.9%	+0.7pp	+262.6%	+341.4%	+109.7%

Compare:NSC vs CSX NSC vs UNP NSC vs CP NSC vs CSX vs UNP

About NSC Dividend Returns

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) is a dividend-paying stock. When dividends are reinvested through a DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan), they purchase additional shares, which then generate their own dividends—creating a compounding effect that can significantly boost long-term returns.

How We Calculate Total Return

Our total return calculator simulates dividend reinvestment (DRIP) by assuming each dividend payment is used to purchase additional shares at the closing price on the ex-dividend date. This methodology provides an accurate representation of how a dividend reinvestment plan would perform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1What is the total return of NSC over the past year?

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) delivered a total return of 42.89% over the past year when dividends are reinvested. The price-only return was 41.07%, meaning dividends contributed an additional 1.82 percentage points to total returns.

Q2How much would $10,000 invested in NSC be worth today?

A $10,000 investment in Norfolk Southern Corporation one year ago would be worth $14,289 today with dividends reinvested (DRIP). Without reinvesting dividends, the same investment would be worth $14,107. Dividend reinvestment added $182 to the portfolio value.

Q3Does NSC pay dividends?

Yes, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) pays dividends. In the last year, NSC paid approximately $5.40 per share in dividends (1.72% yield). Reinvesting these dividends through a DRIP can significantly boost long-term returns — over 20+ years, dividend compounding can account for 30–50% of total returns for dividend-paying stocks.

Q4Did NSC beat the S&P 500?

Yes, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) outperformed the S&P 500 by 14.45 percentage points over the past year. NSC delivered a total return of 42.89%, compared to the S&P 500's 28.44%. This 14.45pp alpha means investors in NSC earned more than a passive S&P 500 index fund.

Q5What is NSC's worst drawdown?

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) experienced a maximum drawdown of -12.47% over the past year, declining from its peak on 2026-03-04 to its trough on 2026-03-19. The stock recovered to its prior peak by 2026-04-23. Maximum drawdown measures the worst peak-to-trough decline and is an important risk metric for investors.

Q6What is NSC's long-term total return over 10, 20, or 30 years?

Here are Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC)'s long-term returns with dividends reinvested. Over 10 years, the total return is 298.3% (14.8% CAGR) — $10,000 would have grown to $39,827. Over 20 years: 561.1% total return (9.9% CAGR) — $10,000 → $66,113. Over 30 years: 1241.0% total return (9.0% CAGR) — $10,000 → $134,098. Long-term investors benefit from compounding: dividends buy additional shares, which generate their own dividends, creating an exponential growth effect.

Q7What was NSC's best and worst year?

Norfolk Southern Corporation's best calendar year was 2004 with a total return of 51.2%. Its worst year was 1999 with a total return of -35.0%. This range shows the volatility investors should expect — the difference between the best and worst year is 86.3 percentage points.