CSX Corp (CSX): Today's Featured Transportation Laggard

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

CSX ( CSX) pushed the Transportation industry lower today making it today's featured Transportation laggard. The industry as a whole closed the day down 0.7%. By the end of trading, CSX fell 36 cents (-1.7%) to $20.75 on heavy volume. Throughout the day, 10.6 million shares of CSX exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 6.9 million shares. The stock ranged in price between $20.65-$21 after having opened the day at $21 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $21.11. Other companies within the Transportation industry that declined today were: Ultrapetrol Bahamas ( ULTR), down 12.9%, Box Ships ( TEU), down 8%, Overseas Shipholding Group ( OSG), down 6.4%, and Sino-Global Shipping America ( SINO), down 6.1%.
  • ACTIVE STOCK TRADERS: Get full access to Jim Cramer's thoughts for less than $3/week - sometimes before he says them on TV! Start with a 14-Day Free Trial.

CSX Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides rail-based transportation services. It offers traditional rail service and the transport of intermodal containers and trailers. CSX has a market cap of $21.84 billion and is part of the services sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 11.8, equal to the average transportation industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 0.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there are 17 analysts that rate CSX a buy, one analyst rates it a sell, and seven rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates CSX as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its growth in earnings per share, notable return on equity, attractive valuation levels, expanding profit margins and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had generally high debt management risk by most measures that we evaluated.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the transportation industry could consider iShares Dow Jones Transportation ( IYT) while those bearish on the transportation industry could consider ProShares UltraShort Industrials ( SIJ).

FREE from Real Money's Jim Cramer: Winners and Losers Election 2012 - Steps to take NOW so you can profit no matter who is in charge! Free download now.
null