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Side-by-side financial comparison of MARKEL GROUP INC. (MKL) and Norfolk Southern (NSC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

MARKEL GROUP INC. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($3.6B vs $3.0B, roughly 1.2× Norfolk Southern). Norfolk Southern runs the higher net margin — 21.7% vs 16.1%, a 5.5% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Norfolk Southern posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-1.7% vs -6.9%). MARKEL GROUP INC. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($599.1M vs $334.0M). Over the past eight quarters, Norfolk Southern's revenue compounded faster (-0.5% CAGR vs -10.5%).

Markel Group Inc. is a group of companies headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, and originally founded in 1930 as an insurance company.

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.

MKL vs NSC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MKL
MKL
1.2× larger
MKL
$3.6B
$3.0B
NSC
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
NSC
NSC
+5.2% gap
NSC
-1.7%
-6.9%
MKL
Higher net margin
NSC
NSC
5.5% more per $
NSC
21.7%
16.1%
MKL
More free cash flow
MKL
MKL
$265.1M more FCF
MKL
$599.1M
$334.0M
NSC
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
NSC
NSC
Annualised
NSC
-0.5%
-10.5%
MKL

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Revenue
$3.6B
$3.0B
Net Profit
$576.8M
$644.0M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
22.2%
31.5%
Net Margin
16.1%
21.7%
Revenue YoY
-6.9%
-1.7%
Net Profit YoY
5.0%
-12.1%
EPS (diluted)
$48.22
$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
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$3.6B
$3.0B
Q3 25
$3.9B
$3.1B
Q2 25
$4.6B
$3.1B
Q1 25
$3.4B
$3.0B
Q4 24
$3.8B
$3.0B
Q3 24
$4.6B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$3.7B
$3.0B
Q1 24
$4.5B
$3.0B
Net Profit
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$576.8M
$644.0M
Q3 25
$751.3M
$711.0M
Q2 25
$657.1M
$768.0M
Q1 25
$121.7M
$750.0M
Q4 24
$549.2M
$733.0M
Q3 24
$905.0M
$1.1B
Q2 24
$267.7M
$737.0M
Q1 24
$1.0B
$53.0M
Operating Margin
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
22.2%
31.5%
Q3 25
25.7%
35.4%
Q2 25
24.1%
37.8%
Q1 25
8.3%
38.3%
Q4 24
15.5%
37.4%
Q3 24
29.7%
52.3%
Q2 24
11.1%
37.2%
Q1 24
29.9%
7.1%
Net Margin
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
16.1%
21.7%
Q3 25
19.1%
22.9%
Q2 25
14.3%
24.7%
Q1 25
3.6%
25.1%
Q4 24
14.3%
24.2%
Q3 24
19.6%
36.0%
Q2 24
7.2%
24.2%
Q1 24
23.0%
1.8%
EPS (diluted)
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$48.22
$2.87
Q3 25
$59.25
$3.16
Q2 25
$49.67
$3.41
Q1 25
$12.08
$3.31
Q4 24
$39.02
$3.24
Q3 24
$66.25
$4.85
Q2 24
$18.62
$3.25
Q1 24
$75.43
$0.23

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$4.0B
$1.5B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$4.3B
$16.5B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$18.6B
$15.5B
Total Assets
$68.9B
$45.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.23×
1.06×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$4.0B
$1.5B
Q3 25
$4.0B
$1.4B
Q2 25
$3.7B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$4.2B
$1.0B
Q4 24
$3.7B
$1.6B
Q3 24
$3.9B
$975.0M
Q2 24
$3.5B
$659.0M
Q1 24
$3.6B
$652.0M
Total Debt
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$4.3B
$16.5B
Q3 25
$4.3B
$16.5B
Q2 25
$4.4B
$16.5B
Q1 25
$4.4B
$16.7B
Q4 24
$4.3B
$16.7B
Q3 24
$4.4B
$16.6B
Q2 24
$4.4B
$16.9B
Q1 24
$3.9B
$17.2B
Stockholders' Equity
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$18.6B
$15.5B
Q3 25
$18.0B
$15.1B
Q2 25
$17.3B
$14.8B
Q1 25
$17.1B
$14.5B
Q4 24
$16.9B
$14.3B
Q3 24
$17.0B
$13.8B
Q2 24
$15.9B
$13.0B
Q1 24
$15.7B
$12.5B
Total Assets
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$68.9B
$45.2B
Q3 25
$67.4B
$44.6B
Q2 25
$66.8B
$44.2B
Q1 25
$64.6B
$43.8B
Q4 24
$61.9B
$43.7B
Q3 24
$62.3B
$43.3B
Q2 24
$59.7B
$42.6B
Q1 24
$57.3B
$42.1B
Debt / Equity
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
0.23×
1.06×
Q3 25
0.24×
1.09×
Q2 25
0.25×
1.11×
Q1 25
0.26×
1.15×
Q4 24
0.26×
1.16×
Q3 24
0.26×
1.21×
Q2 24
0.28×
1.30×
Q1 24
0.25×
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
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$662.2M
$1.1B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$599.1M
$334.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
16.7%
11.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.8%
24.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.15×
1.65×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$2.6B
$2.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$662.2M
$1.1B
Q3 25
$1.2B
$1.3B
Q2 25
$504.4M
$1.1B
Q1 25
$376.2M
$950.0M
Q4 24
$493.9M
$951.0M
Q3 24
$890.8M
$1.2B
Q2 24
$578.6M
$1.0B
Q1 24
$630.7M
$839.0M
Free Cash Flow
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
$599.1M
$334.0M
Q3 25
$1.2B
$720.0M
Q2 25
$453.8M
$602.0M
Q1 25
$335.5M
$501.0M
Q4 24
$420.0M
$276.0M
Q3 24
$838.9M
$645.0M
Q2 24
$521.4M
$468.0M
Q1 24
$558.7M
$282.0M
FCF Margin
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
16.7%
11.2%
Q3 25
29.6%
23.2%
Q2 25
9.9%
19.4%
Q1 25
9.9%
16.7%
Q4 24
10.9%
9.1%
Q3 24
18.2%
21.1%
Q2 24
14.1%
15.4%
Q1 24
12.5%
9.4%
Capex Intensity
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
1.8%
24.5%
Q3 25
1.3%
17.8%
Q2 25
1.1%
15.3%
Q1 25
1.2%
15.0%
Q4 24
1.9%
22.3%
Q3 24
1.1%
19.0%
Q2 24
1.5%
18.7%
Q1 24
1.6%
18.5%
Cash Conversion
MKL
MKL
NSC
NSC
Q4 25
1.15×
1.65×
Q3 25
1.62×
1.79×
Q2 25
0.77×
1.40×
Q1 25
3.09×
1.27×
Q4 24
0.90×
1.30×
Q3 24
0.98×
1.12×
Q2 24
2.16×
1.41×
Q1 24
0.62×
15.83×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

MKL
MKL

Industrial$1.6B45%
Consumer And Other$958.3M27%
Financial$737.0M21%
Other$198.8M6%
Corporate Operations$52.0M1%
Revenue From Contract With Customer$10.5M0%

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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