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Side-by-side financial comparison of Ingredion Inc (INGR) 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 $1.8B, roughly 1.7× Ingredion Inc). Norfolk Southern runs the higher net margin — 21.7% vs 9.5%, a 12.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Norfolk Southern posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-1.7% vs -2.4%). Norfolk Southern produced more free cash flow last quarter ($334.0M vs $270.0M). Over the past eight quarters, Norfolk Southern's revenue compounded faster (-0.5% CAGR vs -3.4%).

Ingredion Inc. is an American food and beverage ingredient provider based in Westchester, Illinois, producing mainly starches, non-GMO sweeteners, stevia, and pea protein. The company turns corn, tapioca, potatoes, plant-based stevia, grains, fruits, gums and other vegetables into ingredients for the food, beverage, brewing, and pharmaceutical industries and numerous industrial sectors. It has about 12,000 employees in 44 locations, and customers in excess of 120 countries.

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.

INGR vs NSC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NSC
NSC
1.7× larger
NSC
$3.0B
$1.8B
INGR
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
NSC
NSC
+0.7% gap
NSC
-1.7%
-2.4%
INGR
Higher net margin
NSC
NSC
12.1% more per $
NSC
21.7%
9.5%
INGR
More free cash flow
NSC
NSC
$64.0M more FCF
NSC
$334.0M
$270.0M
INGR
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
NSC
NSC
Annualised
NSC
-0.5%
-3.4%
INGR

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Revenue
$1.8B
$3.0B
Net Profit
$167.0M
$644.0M
Gross Margin
24.5%
Operating Margin
12.5%
31.5%
Net Margin
9.5%
21.7%
Revenue YoY
-2.4%
-1.7%
Net Profit YoY
72.2%
-12.1%
EPS (diluted)
$2.58
$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
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$1.8B
$3.0B
Q3 25
$1.8B
$3.1B
Q2 25
$1.8B
$3.1B
Q1 25
$1.8B
$3.0B
Q4 24
$1.8B
$3.0B
Q3 24
$1.9B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$1.9B
$3.0B
Q1 24
$1.9B
$3.0B
Net Profit
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$167.0M
$644.0M
Q3 25
$171.0M
$711.0M
Q2 25
$196.0M
$768.0M
Q1 25
$197.0M
$750.0M
Q4 24
$97.0M
$733.0M
Q3 24
$188.0M
$1.1B
Q2 24
$148.0M
$737.0M
Q1 24
$216.0M
$53.0M
Gross Margin
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
24.5%
Q3 25
25.1%
Q2 25
26.0%
Q1 25
25.7%
Q4 24
24.9%
Q3 24
25.6%
Q2 24
23.7%
Q1 24
22.2%
Operating Margin
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
12.5%
31.5%
Q3 25
13.7%
35.4%
Q2 25
14.8%
37.8%
Q1 25
15.2%
38.3%
Q4 24
9.0%
37.4%
Q3 24
14.3%
52.3%
Q2 24
12.8%
37.2%
Q1 24
11.3%
7.1%
Net Margin
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
9.5%
21.7%
Q3 25
9.4%
22.9%
Q2 25
10.7%
24.7%
Q1 25
10.9%
25.1%
Q4 24
5.4%
24.2%
Q3 24
10.1%
36.0%
Q2 24
7.9%
24.2%
Q1 24
11.5%
1.8%
EPS (diluted)
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$2.58
$2.87
Q3 25
$2.61
$3.16
Q2 25
$2.99
$3.41
Q1 25
$3.00
$3.31
Q4 24
$1.43
$3.24
Q3 24
$2.83
$4.85
Q2 24
$2.22
$3.25
Q1 24
$3.23
$0.23

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$1.0B
$1.5B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$16.5B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$4.3B
$15.5B
Total Assets
$7.9B
$45.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.06×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$1.0B
$1.5B
Q3 25
$915.0M
$1.4B
Q2 25
$861.0M
$1.3B
Q1 25
$837.0M
$1.0B
Q4 24
$997.0M
$1.6B
Q3 24
$877.0M
$975.0M
Q2 24
$505.0M
$659.0M
Q1 24
$438.0M
$652.0M
Total Debt
INGR
INGR
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
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$4.3B
$15.5B
Q3 25
$4.2B
$15.1B
Q2 25
$4.2B
$14.8B
Q1 25
$4.0B
$14.5B
Q4 24
$3.8B
$14.3B
Q3 24
$4.0B
$13.8B
Q2 24
$3.7B
$13.0B
Q1 24
$3.7B
$12.5B
Total Assets
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$7.9B
$45.2B
Q3 25
$7.8B
$44.6B
Q2 25
$7.8B
$44.2B
Q1 25
$7.5B
$43.8B
Q4 24
$7.4B
$43.7B
Q3 24
$7.5B
$43.3B
Q2 24
$7.2B
$42.6B
Q1 24
$7.3B
$42.1B
Debt / Equity
INGR
INGR
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
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$405.0M
$1.1B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$270.0M
$334.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
15.4%
11.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
7.7%
24.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.43×
1.65×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$511.0M
$2.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$405.0M
$1.1B
Q3 25
$277.0M
$1.3B
Q2 25
$185.0M
$1.1B
Q1 25
$77.0M
$950.0M
Q4 24
$436.0M
$951.0M
Q3 24
$479.0M
$1.2B
Q2 24
$312.0M
$1.0B
Q1 24
$209.0M
$839.0M
Free Cash Flow
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$270.0M
$334.0M
Q3 25
$172.0M
$720.0M
Q2 25
$84.0M
$602.0M
Q1 25
$-15.0M
$501.0M
Q4 24
$311.0M
$276.0M
Q3 24
$429.0M
$645.0M
Q2 24
$257.0M
$468.0M
Q1 24
$144.0M
$282.0M
FCF Margin
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
15.4%
11.2%
Q3 25
9.5%
23.2%
Q2 25
4.6%
19.4%
Q1 25
-0.8%
16.7%
Q4 24
17.3%
9.1%
Q3 24
22.9%
21.1%
Q2 24
13.7%
15.4%
Q1 24
7.7%
9.4%
Capex Intensity
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
7.7%
24.5%
Q3 25
5.8%
17.8%
Q2 25
5.5%
15.3%
Q1 25
5.1%
15.0%
Q4 24
6.9%
22.3%
Q3 24
2.7%
19.0%
Q2 24
2.9%
18.7%
Q1 24
3.5%
18.5%
Cash Conversion
INGR
INGR
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
2.43×
1.65×
Q3 25
1.62×
1.79×
Q2 25
0.94×
1.40×
Q1 25
0.39×
1.27×
Q4 24
4.49×
1.30×
Q3 24
2.55×
1.12×
Q2 24
2.11×
1.41×
Q1 24
0.97×
15.83×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

INGR
INGR

Food And Industrial Ingredients LATAM Segment$599.0M34%
Texture And Healthful Solutions Segment$598.0M34%
Food And Industrial Ingredients U.S.Canada Segment$486.0M28%
Other$74.0M4%

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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