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

Altria is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($5.4B vs $3.0B, roughly 1.8× Norfolk Southern). Altria runs the higher net margin — 40.2% vs 21.7%, a 18.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Altria posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (3.2% vs -1.7%). Over the past eight quarters, Norfolk Southern's revenue compounded faster (-0.5% CAGR vs -6.5%).

Altria Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; cigars and pipe tobacco principally under the Black & Mild brand; and moist smokeless tobacco products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands, as well as provides on! oral nicotine pouches. It sells its tobacco products primarily to wholesalers, including distributors; and large retai...

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.

MO vs NSC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MO
MO
1.8× larger
MO
$5.4B
$3.0B
NSC
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MO
MO
+4.9% gap
MO
3.2%
-1.7%
NSC
Higher net margin
MO
MO
18.6% more per $
MO
40.2%
21.7%
NSC
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
NSC
NSC
Annualised
NSC
-0.5%
-6.5%
MO

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Revenue
$5.4B
$3.0B
Net Profit
$2.2B
$644.0M
Gross Margin
64.6%
Operating Margin
54.5%
31.5%
Net Margin
40.2%
21.7%
Revenue YoY
3.2%
-1.7%
Net Profit YoY
-12.1%
EPS (diluted)
$1.30
$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
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$5.4B
Q4 25
$5.8B
$3.0B
Q3 25
$6.1B
$3.1B
Q2 25
$6.1B
$3.1B
Q1 25
$5.3B
$3.0B
Q4 24
$6.0B
$3.0B
Q3 24
$6.3B
$3.1B
Q2 24
$6.2B
$3.0B
Net Profit
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$2.2B
Q4 25
$1.1B
$644.0M
Q3 25
$2.4B
$711.0M
Q2 25
$2.4B
$768.0M
Q1 25
$1.1B
$750.0M
Q4 24
$3.0B
$733.0M
Q3 24
$2.3B
$1.1B
Q2 24
$3.8B
$737.0M
Gross Margin
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
64.6%
Q4 25
62.1%
Q3 25
62.8%
Q2 25
63.1%
Q1 25
61.8%
Q4 24
60.3%
Q3 24
60.8%
Q2 24
59.2%
Operating Margin
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
54.5%
Q4 25
28.2%
31.5%
Q3 25
53.2%
35.4%
Q2 25
52.9%
37.8%
Q1 25
34.0%
38.3%
Q4 24
48.2%
37.4%
Q3 24
50.4%
52.3%
Q2 24
40.8%
37.2%
Net Margin
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
40.2%
Q4 25
19.1%
21.7%
Q3 25
39.1%
22.9%
Q2 25
39.0%
24.7%
Q1 25
20.5%
25.1%
Q4 24
50.9%
24.2%
Q3 24
36.6%
36.0%
Q2 24
61.2%
24.2%
EPS (diluted)
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$1.30
Q4 25
$0.67
$2.87
Q3 25
$1.41
$3.16
Q2 25
$1.41
$3.41
Q1 25
$0.63
$3.31
Q4 24
$1.78
$3.24
Q3 24
$1.34
$4.85
Q2 24
$2.21
$3.25

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$3.5B
$1.5B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$24.6B
$16.5B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$15.5B
Total Assets
$34.6B
$45.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.06×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$3.5B
Q4 25
$4.5B
$1.5B
Q3 25
$3.5B
$1.4B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$4.7B
$1.0B
Q4 24
$3.1B
$1.6B
Q3 24
$1.9B
$975.0M
Q2 24
$1.8B
$659.0M
Total Debt
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$24.6B
Q4 25
$25.7B
$16.5B
Q3 25
$25.7B
$16.5B
Q2 25
$24.7B
$16.5B
Q1 25
$26.1B
$16.7B
Q4 24
$24.9B
$16.7B
Q3 24
$25.2B
$16.6B
Q2 24
$25.0B
$16.9B
Stockholders' Equity
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
Q4 25
$-3.5B
$15.5B
Q3 25
$-2.6B
$15.1B
Q2 25
$-3.3B
$14.8B
Q1 25
$-3.5B
$14.5B
Q4 24
$-2.2B
$14.3B
Q3 24
$-3.5B
$13.8B
Q2 24
$-3.0B
$13.0B
Total Assets
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
$34.6B
Q4 25
$35.0B
$45.2B
Q3 25
$35.0B
$44.6B
Q2 25
$32.3B
$44.2B
Q1 25
$35.8B
$43.8B
Q4 24
$35.2B
$43.7B
Q3 24
$34.2B
$43.3B
Q2 24
$34.4B
$42.6B
Debt / Equity
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
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×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

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

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
Q4 25
$3.3B
$1.1B
Q3 25
$3.1B
$1.3B
Q2 25
$205.0M
$1.1B
Q1 25
$2.7B
$950.0M
Q4 24
$3.3B
$951.0M
Q3 24
$2.6B
$1.2B
Q2 24
$-75.0M
$1.0B
Free Cash Flow
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
Q4 25
$3.2B
$334.0M
Q3 25
$3.0B
$720.0M
Q2 25
$173.0M
$602.0M
Q1 25
$2.7B
$501.0M
Q4 24
$3.3B
$276.0M
Q3 24
$2.6B
$645.0M
Q2 24
$-104.0M
$468.0M
FCF Margin
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
Q4 25
54.4%
11.2%
Q3 25
50.1%
23.2%
Q2 25
2.8%
19.4%
Q1 25
51.0%
16.7%
Q4 24
55.1%
9.1%
Q3 24
41.2%
21.1%
Q2 24
-1.7%
15.4%
Capex Intensity
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.6%
24.5%
Q3 25
0.9%
17.8%
Q2 25
0.5%
15.3%
Q1 25
0.7%
15.0%
Q4 24
0.8%
22.3%
Q3 24
0.5%
19.0%
Q2 24
0.5%
18.7%
Cash Conversion
MO
MO
NSC
NSC
Q1 26
Q4 25
2.93×
1.65×
Q3 25
1.30×
1.79×
Q2 25
0.09×
1.40×
Q1 25
2.53×
1.27×
Q4 24
1.10×
1.30×
Q3 24
1.14×
1.12×
Q2 24
-0.02×
1.41×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

MO
MO

Segment breakdown not available.

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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