AXON vs. NSC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 7, 2025

Here’s a clear look at AXON and NSC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

AXON’s market capitalization stands at 61.93 billion USD, while NSC’s is 59.18 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.

With betas of 1.28 for AXON and 1.31 for NSC, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.

Symbol	AXON	NSC
Company Name	Axon Enterprise, Inc.	Norfolk Southern Corporation
Country	US	US
Sector	Industrials	Industrials
Industry	Aerospace & Defense	Railroads
CEO	Patrick W. Smith	Mark R. George
Price	795.48 USD	262.5 USD
Market Cap	61.93 billion USD	59.18 billion USD
Beta	1.28	1.31
Exchange	NASDAQ	NYSE
IPO Date	June 19, 2001	June 2, 1982
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AXON and NSC by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

AXON vs. NSC: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

AXON

14.86%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 42.57%
Q3: 16.67%
Median: 8.39%
Q1: -0.77%
Min: -23.36%

AXON’s Return on Equity of 14.86% is on par with the norm for the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

NSC

23.89%

Railroads Industry

Max: 40.80%
Q3: 24.36%
Median: 18.32%
Q1: 11.84%
Min: 8.37%

NSC’s Return on Equity of 23.89% is on par with the norm for the Railroads industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

AXON

0.68%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 23.42%
Q3: 8.86%
Median: 5.47%
Q1: -5.60%
Min: -22.46%

AXON’s Return on Invested Capital of 0.68% is in line with the norm for the Aerospace & Defense industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

NSC

9.44%

Railroads Industry

Max: 11.47%
Q3: 9.66%
Median: 9.08%
Q1: 7.36%
Min: 4.32%

NSC’s Return on Invested Capital of 9.44% is in line with the norm for the Railroads industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

AXON

14.86%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 22.67%
Q3: 8.04%
Median: 4.95%
Q1: -5.07%
Min: -16.58%

A Net Profit Margin of 14.86% places AXON in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

NSC

27.40%

Railroads Industry

Max: 27.77%
Q3: 26.50%
Median: 24.33%
Q1: 9.34%
Min: 4.79%

A Net Profit Margin of 27.40% places NSC in the upper quartile for the Railroads industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

AXON

1.50%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 22.01%
Q3: 11.49%
Median: 8.96%
Q1: 3.77%
Min: -4.96%

AXON’s Operating Profit Margin of 1.50% is in the lower quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

NSC

41.08%

Railroads Industry

Max: 41.08%
Q3: 37.86%
Median: 35.40%
Q1: 15.99%
Min: 10.85%

An Operating Profit Margin of 41.08% places NSC in the upper quartile for the Railroads industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AXON	NSC
Return on Equity (TTM)	14.86%	23.89%
Return on Assets (TTM)	5.44%	7.58%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	0.68%	9.44%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	14.86%	27.40%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	1.50%	41.08%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	60.44%	39.07%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

AXON

2.83

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 5.13
Q3: 3.36
Median: 2.16
Q1: 1.20
Min: 0.41

AXON’s Current Ratio of 2.83 aligns with the median group of the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

NSC

0.78

Railroads Industry

Max: 1.97
Q3: 1.41
Median: 0.85
Q1: 0.77
Min: 0.62

NSC’s Current Ratio of 0.78 aligns with the median group of the Railroads industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

AXON

0.80

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 1.20
Q3: 0.73
Median: 0.51
Q1: 0.09
Min: 0.00

AXON’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Aerospace & Defense industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.80. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

NSC

1.19

Railroads Industry

Max: 2.11
Q3: 1.44
Median: 1.19
Q1: 0.72
Min: 0.39

NSC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.19 is typical for the Railroads industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

AXON

2.53

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 12.62
Q3: 7.38
Median: 2.95
Q1: 1.68
Min: -6.68

AXON’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.53 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

NSC

6.18

Railroads Industry

Max: 8.45
Q3: 7.16
Median: 6.40
Q1: 5.53
Min: 4.30

NSC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.18 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Railroads industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AXON	NSC
Current Ratio (TTM)	2.83	0.78
Quick Ratio (TTM)	2.62	0.70
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	0.80	1.19
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.34	0.39
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	4.16	2.51
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	2.53	6.18

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AXON and NSC. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

AXON

0.00%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 6.00%
Q3: 0.66%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AXON currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

NSC

2.06%

Railroads Industry

Max: 4.30%
Q3: 2.64%
Median: 2.21%
Q1: 1.33%
Min: 0.43%

NSC’s Dividend Yield of 2.06% is consistent with its peers in the Railroads industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

AXON

0.00%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 172.02%
Q3: 32.47%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AXON has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

NSC

36.82%

Railroads Industry

Max: 69.30%
Q3: 47.83%
Median: 32.93%
Q1: 18.85%
Min: 13.29%

NSC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 36.82% is within the typical range for the Railroads industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AXON	NSC
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	2.06%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	36.82%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

AXON

184.79

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 75.34
Q3: 54.40
Median: 38.63
Q1: 26.10
Min: 16.44

At 184.79, AXON’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

NSC

17.88

Railroads Industry

Max: 26.01
Q3: 22.00
Median: 19.48
Q1: 17.09
Min: 16.09

NSC’s P/E Ratio of 17.88 is within the middle range for the Railroads industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

AXON

8.54

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 10.68
Q3: 5.36
Median: 2.31
Q1: 1.47
Min: 0.01

A Forward PEG Ratio of 8.54 places AXON in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.

NSC

1.58

Railroads Industry

Max: 1.85
Q3: 1.84
Median: 1.79
Q1: 1.59
Min: 1.52

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Railroads industry.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

AXON

27.81

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 19.34
Q3: 9.54
Median: 2.71
Q1: 1.59
Min: 0.35

With a P/S Ratio of 27.81, AXON trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Aerospace & Defense industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

NSC

4.89

Railroads Industry

Max: 6.74
Q3: 5.30
Median: 4.55
Q1: 2.73
Min: 0.42

NSC’s P/S Ratio of 4.89 aligns with the market consensus for the Railroads industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

AXON

23.93

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 16.08
Q3: 8.12
Median: 4.12
Q1: 2.69
Min: 0.69

At 23.93, AXON’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

NSC

4.09

Railroads Industry

Max: 5.11
Q3: 4.36
Median: 3.70
Q1: 1.98
Min: 1.00

NSC’s P/B Ratio of 4.09 is within the conventional range for the Railroads industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

AXON vs. NSC: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Railroads industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AXON	NSC
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	184.79	17.88
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	8.54	1.58
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	27.81	4.89
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	23.93	4.09
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	170.80	31.33
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	274.06	11.65
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	28.23	6.22