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Side-by-side financial comparison of Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. (COKE) and Norfolk Southern (NSC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Norfolk Southern is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($3.0B vs $1.9B, roughly 1.6× Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc.). Norfolk Southern runs the higher net margin — 21.7% vs 7.2%, a 14.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (9.0% vs -1.7%). Norfolk Southern produced more free cash flow last quarter ($334.0M vs $106.7M). Over the past eight quarters, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (9.4% CAGR vs -0.5%).

Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc., headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the United States.

The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The company operates 19,420 route miles (31,250 km) in 22 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and has rights in Canada over the Albany to Montreal route of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City.

COKE vs NSC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NSC
NSC
1.6× larger
NSC
$3.0B
$1.9B
COKE
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
COKE
COKE
+10.7% gap
COKE
9.0%
-1.7%
NSC
Higher net margin
NSC
NSC
14.4% more per $
NSC
21.7%
7.2%
COKE
More free cash flow
NSC
NSC
$227.3M more FCF
NSC
$334.0M
$106.7M
COKE
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
COKE
COKE
Annualised
COKE
9.4%
-0.5%
NSC

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Revenue
$1.9B
$3.0B
Net Profit
$137.3M
$644.0M
Gross Margin
39.6%
Operating Margin
12.7%
31.5%
Net Margin
7.2%
21.7%
Revenue YoY
9.0%
-1.7%
Net Profit YoY
-23.3%
-12.1%
EPS (diluted)
$2.87

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$1.9B
$3.0B
Q3 25
$1.9B
$3.1B
Q2 25
$1.9B
$3.1B
Q1 25
$1.6B
$3.0B
Q4 24
$1.7B
$3.0B
Q3 24
$1.8B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$1.8B
$3.0B
Q1 24
$1.6B
$3.0B
Net Profit
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$137.3M
$644.0M
Q3 25
$142.3M
$711.0M
Q2 25
$187.4M
$768.0M
Q1 25
$103.6M
$750.0M
Q4 24
$178.9M
$733.0M
Q3 24
$115.6M
$1.1B
Q2 24
$172.8M
$737.0M
Q1 24
$165.7M
$53.0M
Gross Margin
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
39.6%
Q3 25
39.6%
Q2 25
40.0%
Q1 25
39.7%
Q4 24
40.0%
Q3 24
39.5%
Q2 24
39.9%
Q1 24
40.2%
Operating Margin
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
12.7%
31.5%
Q3 25
13.1%
35.4%
Q2 25
14.7%
37.8%
Q1 25
12.0%
38.3%
Q4 24
12.5%
37.4%
Q3 24
12.9%
52.3%
Q2 24
14.4%
37.2%
Q1 24
13.5%
7.1%
Net Margin
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
7.2%
21.7%
Q3 25
7.5%
22.9%
Q2 25
10.1%
24.7%
Q1 25
6.6%
25.1%
Q4 24
10.2%
24.2%
Q3 24
6.5%
36.0%
Q2 24
9.6%
24.2%
Q1 24
10.4%
1.8%
EPS (diluted)
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$2.87
Q3 25
$3.16
Q2 25
$3.41
Q1 25
$3.31
Q4 24
$3.24
Q3 24
$4.85
Q2 24
$3.25
Q1 24
$0.23

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$281.9M
$1.5B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.8B
$16.5B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$-739.7M
$15.5B
Total Assets
$4.3B
$45.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.06×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$281.9M
$1.5B
Q3 25
$1.5B
$1.4B
Q2 25
$1.2B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$1.0B
Q4 24
$1.1B
$1.6B
Q3 24
$1.2B
$975.0M
Q2 24
$1.7B
$659.0M
Q1 24
$401.3M
$652.0M
Total Debt
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$2.8B
$16.5B
Q3 25
$1.8B
$16.5B
Q2 25
$1.8B
$16.5B
Q1 25
$1.8B
$16.7B
Q4 24
$1.8B
$16.7B
Q3 24
$1.8B
$16.6B
Q2 24
$1.8B
$16.9B
Q1 24
$599.3M
$17.2B
Stockholders' Equity
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$-739.7M
$15.5B
Q3 25
$1.6B
$15.1B
Q2 25
$1.6B
$14.8B
Q1 25
$1.5B
$14.5B
Q4 24
$1.4B
$14.3B
Q3 24
$1.3B
$13.8B
Q2 24
$1.2B
$13.0B
Q1 24
$1.6B
$12.5B
Total Assets
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$4.3B
$45.2B
Q3 25
$5.7B
$44.6B
Q2 25
$5.5B
$44.2B
Q1 25
$5.4B
$43.8B
Q4 24
$5.3B
$43.7B
Q3 24
$5.3B
$43.3B
Q2 24
$5.7B
$42.6B
Q1 24
$4.3B
$42.1B
Debt / Equity
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
1.06×
Q3 25
1.09×
1.09×
Q2 25
1.10×
1.11×
Q1 25
1.19×
1.15×
Q4 24
1.26×
1.16×
Q3 24
1.39×
1.21×
Q2 24
1.49×
1.30×
Q1 24
0.37×
1.37×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$209.0M
$1.1B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$106.7M
$334.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
5.6%
11.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
5.4%
24.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.52×
1.65×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$619.6M
$2.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$209.0M
$1.1B
Q3 25
$316.7M
$1.3B
Q2 25
$208.1M
$1.1B
Q1 25
$198.2M
$950.0M
Q4 24
$168.5M
$951.0M
Q3 24
$270.8M
$1.2B
Q2 24
$242.9M
$1.0B
Q1 24
$194.3M
$839.0M
Free Cash Flow
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$106.7M
$334.0M
Q3 25
$264.1M
$720.0M
Q2 25
$148.5M
$602.0M
Q1 25
$100.3M
$501.0M
Q4 24
$84.8M
$276.0M
Q3 24
$142.8M
$645.0M
Q2 24
$160.5M
$468.0M
Q1 24
$117.2M
$282.0M
FCF Margin
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
5.6%
11.2%
Q3 25
14.0%
23.2%
Q2 25
8.0%
19.4%
Q1 25
6.3%
16.7%
Q4 24
4.9%
9.1%
Q3 24
8.1%
21.1%
Q2 24
8.9%
15.4%
Q1 24
7.4%
9.4%
Capex Intensity
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
5.4%
24.5%
Q3 25
2.8%
17.8%
Q2 25
3.2%
15.3%
Q1 25
6.2%
15.0%
Q4 24
4.8%
22.3%
Q3 24
7.2%
19.0%
Q2 24
4.6%
18.7%
Q1 24
4.8%
18.5%
Cash Conversion
COKE
COKE
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
1.52×
1.65×
Q3 25
2.22×
1.79×
Q2 25
1.11×
1.40×
Q1 25
1.91×
1.27×
Q4 24
0.94×
1.30×
Q3 24
2.34×
1.12×
Q2 24
1.41×
1.41×
Q1 24
1.17×
15.83×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

COKE
COKE

Transferred At Point In Time$1.9B99%
Transferred Over Time$15.1M1%

NSC
NSC

Railway Operating Revenues Market Group Merchandise$1.9B63%
Metals And Construction$404.0M14%
Railway Operating Revenues Market Group Coal$347.0M12%
Automotive$293.0M10%

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