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Side-by-side financial comparison of Electronic Arts (EA) 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× Electronic Arts). Norfolk Southern runs the higher net margin — 21.7% vs 4.6%, a 17.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Electronic Arts posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (1.0% vs -1.7%). Over the past eight quarters, Electronic Arts's revenue compounded faster (3.4% CAGR vs -0.5%).

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by former Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the designers and programmers responsible for its games as "software artists".

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.

EA vs NSC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NSC
NSC
1.6× larger
NSC
$3.0B
$1.9B
EA
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
EA
EA
+2.6% gap
EA
1.0%
-1.7%
NSC
Higher net margin
NSC
NSC
17.0% more per $
NSC
21.7%
4.6%
EA
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
EA
EA
Annualised
EA
3.4%
-0.5%
NSC

Income Statement — Q3 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Revenue
$1.9B
$3.0B
Net Profit
$88.0M
$644.0M
Gross Margin
73.8%
Operating Margin
6.7%
31.5%
Net Margin
4.6%
21.7%
Revenue YoY
1.0%
-1.7%
Net Profit YoY
-70.0%
-12.1%
EPS (diluted)
$0.35
$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
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$1.9B
$3.0B
Q3 25
$1.8B
$3.1B
Q2 25
$1.7B
$3.1B
Q1 25
$1.9B
$3.0B
Q4 24
$1.9B
$3.0B
Q3 24
$2.0B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$1.7B
$3.0B
Q1 24
$1.8B
$3.0B
Net Profit
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$88.0M
$644.0M
Q3 25
$137.0M
$711.0M
Q2 25
$201.0M
$768.0M
Q1 25
$254.0M
$750.0M
Q4 24
$293.0M
$733.0M
Q3 24
$294.0M
$1.1B
Q2 24
$280.0M
$737.0M
Q1 24
$182.0M
$53.0M
Gross Margin
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
73.8%
Q3 25
75.9%
Q2 25
83.3%
Q1 25
80.6%
Q4 24
75.8%
Q3 24
77.5%
Q2 24
84.2%
Q1 24
79.9%
Operating Margin
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
6.7%
31.5%
Q3 25
10.9%
35.4%
Q2 25
16.2%
37.8%
Q1 25
20.8%
38.3%
Q4 24
20.0%
37.4%
Q3 24
19.0%
52.3%
Q2 24
21.9%
37.2%
Q1 24
13.2%
7.1%
Net Margin
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
4.6%
21.7%
Q3 25
7.4%
22.9%
Q2 25
12.0%
24.7%
Q1 25
13.4%
25.1%
Q4 24
15.6%
24.2%
Q3 24
14.5%
36.0%
Q2 24
16.9%
24.2%
Q1 24
10.2%
1.8%
EPS (diluted)
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$0.35
$2.87
Q3 25
$0.54
$3.16
Q2 25
$0.79
$3.41
Q1 25
$0.99
$3.31
Q4 24
$1.11
$3.24
Q3 24
$1.11
$4.85
Q2 24
$1.04
$3.25
Q1 24
$0.67
$0.23

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$2.8B
$1.5B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$16.5B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$6.2B
$15.5B
Total Assets
$13.3B
$45.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.06×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$2.8B
$1.5B
Q3 25
$1.1B
$1.4B
Q2 25
$1.5B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$2.1B
$1.0B
Q4 24
$2.8B
$1.6B
Q3 24
$2.2B
$975.0M
Q2 24
$2.4B
$659.0M
Q1 24
$2.9B
$652.0M
Total Debt
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$16.5B
Q3 25
$16.5B
Q2 25
$16.5B
Q1 25
$16.7B
Q4 24
$16.7B
Q3 24
$16.6B
Q2 24
$16.9B
Q1 24
$17.2B
Stockholders' Equity
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$6.2B
$15.5B
Q3 25
$6.0B
$15.1B
Q2 25
$6.1B
$14.8B
Q1 25
$6.4B
$14.5B
Q4 24
$7.4B
$14.3B
Q3 24
$7.4B
$13.8B
Q2 24
$7.4B
$13.0B
Q1 24
$7.5B
$12.5B
Total Assets
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$13.3B
$45.2B
Q3 25
$11.9B
$44.6B
Q2 25
$11.7B
$44.2B
Q1 25
$12.4B
$43.8B
Q4 24
$13.5B
$43.7B
Q3 24
$13.1B
$43.3B
Q2 24
$12.7B
$42.6B
Q1 24
$13.4B
$42.1B
Debt / Equity
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
1.06×
Q3 25
1.09×
Q2 25
1.11×
Q1 25
1.15×
Q4 24
1.16×
Q3 24
1.21×
Q2 24
1.30×
Q1 24
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
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.8B
$1.1B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$334.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
11.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
24.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
20.75×
1.65×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$2.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$1.8B
$1.1B
Q3 25
$130.0M
$1.3B
Q2 25
$17.0M
$1.1B
Q1 25
$549.0M
$950.0M
Q4 24
$1.2B
$951.0M
Q3 24
$234.0M
$1.2B
Q2 24
$120.0M
$1.0B
Q1 24
$580.0M
$839.0M
Free Cash Flow
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$334.0M
Q3 25
$720.0M
Q2 25
$602.0M
Q1 25
$501.0M
Q4 24
$276.0M
Q3 24
$645.0M
Q2 24
$468.0M
Q1 24
$282.0M
FCF Margin
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
11.2%
Q3 25
23.2%
Q2 25
19.4%
Q1 25
16.7%
Q4 24
9.1%
Q3 24
21.1%
Q2 24
15.4%
Q1 24
9.4%
Capex Intensity
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
24.5%
Q3 25
17.8%
Q2 25
15.3%
Q1 25
15.0%
Q4 24
22.3%
Q3 24
19.0%
Q2 24
18.7%
Q1 24
18.5%
Cash Conversion
EA
EA
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
20.75×
1.65×
Q3 25
0.95×
1.79×
Q2 25
0.08×
1.40×
Q1 25
2.16×
1.27×
Q4 24
4.01×
1.30×
Q3 24
0.80×
1.12×
Q2 24
0.43×
1.41×
Q1 24
3.19×
15.83×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

EA
EA

Live Services And Other Net Revenue$1.3B67%
PC And Other Net Revenue$465.0M24%
Packaged Goods Net Revenue$86.0M5%
Other$56.0M3%
Estimated Service Offering Period$25.0M1%

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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