We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Transportation Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX) stands against the other transportation stocks.
Transportation stocks are those of companies classified as industrial businesses, which range from heavy equipment manufacturers to transportation service providers.
According to the Business Research Company, the transport market has expanded significantly in recent years. It is projected to rise from $6941.93 billion in 2024 to $7522.07 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.4%. Economic expansion, population increase, technical improvements, and consumer behavior are all factors that contributed to historical growth. Meanwhile, the transportation sector is anticipated to boom significantly in the next few years. It will reach $9968.7 billion in 2029, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.3%. Regionally, Western Europe had the largest transport market in 2024. Asia-Pacific was the second-largest inland water transport market.
As of February 22, 2025, the broader market’s transportation industry had returned 3.14% in the previous year, 5.25% in the previous five years, and 4.85% over the last ten. However, performance was negative, at 2.24% year to date and 0.80% over three years.
According to S&P Global’s report, despite a minor slowdown in GDP growth to 2.0% from 2.7% in 2024, the transportation infrastructure industry in the United States is anticipated to experience consistent demand and expansion in 2025. While volume growth in enplanements, port containers, transit ridership, and automobile traffic may moderate, most modes of transportation will continue to grow through 2027. Public transit ridership is projected to stay at 90% of pre-pandemic levels unless external factors, such as reduced remote work or congestion pricing, boost demand. Meanwhile, enplanements, port container traffic, and vehicle travel are likely to stay above pre-pandemic levels, resulting in stable financial performance for this market.
Looking forward, as per Harris William’s report, the transportation and logistics sector is expected to grow rapidly in 2025, propelled by M&A activity and economic recovery. The automotive and heavy-duty aftermarkets remain resilient due to higher maintenance demand as new car prices rise. Investors are attracted to non-discretionary services such as repairs and fleet management. Third-party logistics (3PL) is evolving with technologically advanced solutions to optimize supply chains. Transportation infrastructure services (TIS) continue to draw investment due to their critical role in maritime, rail, and road networks. Companies that provide important, high-demand solutions have growth potential, making the sector a prime target for capital deployment and innovation.
Frank Mountcastle Head of M&A Group, Head Managing Director, commented:
“The transportation and logistics industry’s mix of established and emerging growth drivers will continue to attract a wide set of investors,” “The future is bright for businesses that embrace technology to create efficiencies and add more value while bringing specialized capabilities and a broader array of solutions to their customers.”
According to the PWC’s Transportation and Logistics: US Deals 2025 outlook, the U.S. transportation and logistics industry saw $51.5 billion in deal value across 71 announced transactions in the six months ended November 15, 2024, up from $39.5 billion and 69 agreements in the previous period. This growth shows that investor confidence is rising in line with improved profitability. The transportation and logistics (T&L) sector is seeing an increase in dealmaking due to strong economic conditions and investor confidence. Following the Federal Reserve’s first rate decrease in over four years and the next administration’s deregulatory agenda, M&A activity is expected to revive. While financial purchasers’ participation has slowed, strategic participants are driving transactions, particularly as freight rates and profitability stabilize. Trucking consolidation, railroad logistics innovation, and technological developments in logistics are all key themes to keep an eye on. To profit on the expected market rebound, dealmakers will need agility in fundraising, talent retention, and a strong M&A playbook.
Darach Chapman, US Transportation and Logistics Deals Leader, stated:
“T&L deals activity is set to rebound, driven by demand recovery and supply rationalization. However, macro factors such as trade policy and deregulation will continue to shape M&A opportunities.”
Methodology
We sifted through holdings of Transportation ETFs and online rankings to form an initial list of 20 transportation stocks. From the resultant dataset, we chose 10 stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors, using Insider Monkey’s database of over 1,000 hedge funds in Q4 2024 to gauge hedge fund sentiment for stocks. We have used the stock’s Market Cap as of February 22 as a tie-breaker in case two or more stocks have the same number of hedge funds invested.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
A freight train moving through a rural landscape, its engine and numerous rail cars carrying the company’s cargo.
CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 63
Market Capitalization as of February 22: $62.29 billion
CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX) is an American transportation corporation that focuses on railroad operations. Hunter Harrison, the railroad turnaround legend, managed Eastern Class I railroad CSX from early 2017 until his death in December of the same year. Harrison’s replacement, James Foote (who retired in late 2022), was familiar with Harrison’s precision scheduled railroading methodology from his years at Canadian National. PSR’s major focus is on rightsizing assets such as real estate, sorting yards, motive power, and rolling stock. Fewer assets and longer trains increase network fluidity, resulting in increased labor productivity, improved service levels, and higher potential additional operating margins. Better service also opens up more potential for multimodal transportation, which is extremely competitive with trucks. The company’s intermodal traffic is facing near-term headwinds from depressed pricing in the competitive full truckload market, but this pressure is easing, and the company continues to see intermodal as a key long-term growth prospect.
CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX) recorded a 2% volume gain for the year, outpacing the larger industrial economy, with intermodal volume up 4% YoY in Q4 2024. Despite headwinds from lower fuel surcharges and softening metals markets, the company’s merchandise segment increased revenue by 3%. Customer satisfaction increased, as evidenced by its highest-ever Net Promoter Score in Q4. Furthermore, the Howard Street Tunnel project was shortened from three years to 6-8 months to improve operating efficiency.
The stock has risen by 0.44% year to date, making it one of the Best Transportation Stocks. Analysts remain optimistic about the company’s future, pointing out that domestic shipments account for a sizable amount of CSX Corporation (NASDAQ:CSX)’s income. They believe that the company’s domestic activities will develop as firms increasingly attempt to obtain products from within the United States rather than relying on international manufacturers.
Overall CSX ranks 8th on our list of the best transportation stocks to buy according to hedge funds. While we acknowledge the potential for CSX as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CSX but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
